How did Vorticism connect art with industrialization?

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Vorticism, a movement co-founded by Ezra Pound and Wyndham Lewis, sought to connect art with industrialization by rejecting 19th-century sentimentality in favor of the energy and aesthetics of the machine age.123

The movement bridged the gap between art and industry through several key approaches:

  • Mechanical Aesthetics: Vorticists extolled the power of machines and machine-made products, drawing inspiration from the mechanical forms observed in English shipyards and factories.13
  • Abstract Expression: In both visual arts and literature, they utilized abstraction and sharp-planed, "bare-bones" compositions to sever ties with the Victorian past and embrace a new, modern era.13
  • Dynamic Energy: Similar to Futurism, the movement relished the innovative advances of the industrial period and embraced the potential for dynamic change.3

While Vorticists initially praised the machine, the movement struggled to reconcile its ideals with the unprecedented destruction caused by industrial weaponry during World War I, leading to its decline by the 1920s.3