Assignment
• Misa, Chapter 6
• Marinetti, Filippo, "The Founding and Manifesto of Futurism" by by F. T. Marinetti (1909).
Also watch the following video:
• To New Horizons, General Motors production (1939). (Shown in class and available on YouTube: "Futurama 1939 New York World's Fair "To New Horizons" 1940 General Motors 23min").
Buoyed by a faith in the promise and potentialities of technology, many people began to take seriously the the idea of theorizing about remaking society according to a utopian vision during the "modern" period. However, society can consist of a wide array of diverse viewpoints: One person's idea of utopia may be another person's idea of dystopia. Keep this in mind when addressing the following points in a well-written, 300-400 word essay (feel free to exceed that amount if you have more to say):
1. Of the three "materials of modernism" identified by Misa, focus on one of the materials and explain how the mass production of that material impacted society. That is to say, what aspects of society changed due to the mass influx of this particular material?
2. In his "Founding and Manifesto of Futurism" (1909), Filippo Marinetti embraces technology and celebrates the "new" while disparaging the "old," or the past. How is Marinetti's manifesto an example of "technological fundamentalism"? How do the modern theories and practical applications articulated by Theo van Doesburg (De Stijl or "The Style") and Walter Gropius (The Bauhaus) differ from Marinetti's vision of Futurism?
3. The General Motors video To New Horizons offers a highly optimistic view of the future. What aspects of society and technology does the video highlight and what aspects does it omit? (Include at least two examples of each). Why do you think the video highlights specific aspects over others?
4. Explain, as best you can in your own words, the theoretical concept known as "dismodernism." How do the modernist movements of De Stijl ("The Style") and The Bauhaus influence and inform the contemporary movement of dismodernism? Are there any technologies that could potentially help practically realize dismodernist ideas in the same way that certain technologies helped practically realize the ideas of "The Style" and The Bauhaus?
In this essay, as in all essays for this course, use examples from the readings and class lectures to support your arguments. When quoting text, always include the author's name and page number where you found the quote. For example: Misa, p. 131; or Marinetti, p. 2. With this essay, feel free to bring in outside sources if you believe that they may help you to better explain your arguments. If you do bring in outside sources, be sure to properly cite them.