BALLA Giacomo

Turin, 1871 - Rome, 1958 In Rome from 1895, Balla painted urban subjects with a humanitarian feel, reworking the techniques and approach of Pointillism. From 1909 he became part of the Futurist movement, focusing on the dynamic effects of the refraction of light (Compenetrazioni iridescenti [Irridescent compenetrations], 1912-14), with personal research into the 'abstract equivalents' of figurative art. In 1915, together with Depero he wrote the manifesto Ricostruzione futurista dell'Universo, and embarked on a series of experiments with plastic art, using a variety of materials. In the 1920's he took an interest in the cinema and theatre, gradually returning to representational art with paintings of city scenes, landscapes and portraits.