Fucina, studio di rumori 1918

Julius Evola made this painting, "Fucina, studio di rumori," which translates to "Forge, a study of noises," using oil paint and a wild, clattering approach. I like how the painting is just barely holding it together. The color palette consists of raw siennas, burnt umbers, red, and orange - like peering into a furnace - with these cool, pale blue curves slicing through the composition. I love the small starburst of yellow in the middle-ground of the image. It explodes the implied depth of the picture plane, flattening it like a cartoonish representation of an actual flash. The paint handling is uneven, at times controlled but also applied with a sense of abandon. This makes me think of other futurist artists like Boccioni, who were interested in capturing the dynamism of modern life, but Evola’s piece feels more chaotic and dissonant. It’s like he’s not just painting a forge, but also the disorienting experience of being inside it. Ultimately, I like that I can’t quite put my finger on it. It’s a painting that keeps you guessing.