"States of Mind: Those Who Go" is a pivotal drawing created by Umberto Boccioni in 1911. This essential work, rendered using charcoal and conté crayon on paper, belongs to a crucial tripartite series addressing the modern psychological experience of travel and separation. As a leading figure in the Italian Futurist movement, Boccioni rejected traditional static representation, striving instead to capture the dynamic sensation of speed, movement, and fragmented experience inherent to contemporary urban life, particularly referencing the noise and motion of the railway.
The composition is highly dynamic, typical of Boccioni’s approach to drawing in this 1911 period. Instead of representing solid, discernible objects, the artist depicts abstract lines of force and intersecting planes that evoke the intense sensation of rapid travel and physical separation. The charcoal and conté crayon medium allows Boccioni to generate sharp, dark contrasts, emphasizing the collision of moving masses and the emotional chaos experienced by individuals who are perpetually in motion, or "going." The fragmented, almost shattered forms dissolve the boundary between the internal mental state and the external environment, illustrating the Futurist commitment to capturing universal dynamism through non-representational means. The swirling lines and repetitive, angular forms powerfully communicate the speed and noise of modern transit.
This drawing is one component of the artist’s groundbreaking series, which also includes States of Mind: The Farewells and States of Mind: Those Who Stay. While the other parts of the series were translated into major oil paintings, this charcoal rendering provides direct insight into Boccioni's working process and his initial exploration of simultaneity. This significant Italian drawing is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Due to the historical importance of the series in articulating the tenets of Futurism, studies and high-quality prints of this seminal work remain highly referenced in the study of early modern art.
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