Modernism Art Study (FINISHED)
- Link to Catalogue. Title “Eigenheit,” (Modernism in Dada) meaning individualism
- Link to Presentation.
- Art Gallery of NSW collection.
Topic: Art and Society
Theme: Individualism in Dada (challenging the status quo; personal freedoms)
Task Overview
1. A curator’s statement. (Curator) (Tiffany)
● You should answer some or all of these questions:
● What is your theme?
● Why did you pick it?
● Did you find many works that fit this theme or was it difficult to find works?
● What do you want people to know about your theme?
2. An image of each of your eight artworks. (Artist) (Varona)
● Underneath each of the eight artworks, list the title, the artist, the medium and the year it
was created (the citation).
3. A critical review of the whole exhibition. (Critic) (Candace)
● This should include references to the world at the time of your exhibition and the
reception (generally) to this style of work.
4. A short paragraph about each work. (Audience) (Jess)
● It should inform us of something we wouldn’t know about the artwork from looking
quickly.
● This can be either historical information, artistic technique information, information about
the artist, or information about what the piece means. (3-4 sentences)
Main Ideas
Another social idea that emerged during modernism was a questioning of authority and the
status quo. This can be seen in the visual arts, where artists such as Pablo Picasso and Marcel
Duchamp challenged traditional notions of representation and aesthetics. An important aspect
was the challenging of traditional values in art and expanding the perception of what should be
considered as ‘art’.
Individualism: Modernism emphasised the importance of individualism and self-expression,
challenging traditional values and societal norms that restricted personal freedoms.
- https://artandcollectors.com/pages/australian-modernism-now-then-and-
always#:~:text=Indeed%2C%20while%20the%20men%20fought,new%20form%20of%2
0image%2Dmaking.
- “How an individual should lead his life, what should be the aim of an individual’s life –
answer of all these questions were sought out not by the individual himself, but by the
political, social, religious and other related institutions.”
https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/essay/characteristics-of-modernism-rationalism-
individualism-and-
, universalism/38467#:~:text=Individualism%20may%20be%20regarded%20as,the%20ba
sic%20concern%20for%20modernity.
- “Dada did not manifest in Australia to any degree whilst a vibrant entity overseas
between 1915-25. Though if it did manifest, it remains hidden to this day, the victim of
distance, apathy, and a generally critical public…” - Dada in Australia
- Research “The Angry Penguins” movement: “ was a modernist literary and artistic
movement that sought to shake up the entrenched cultural establishment of Australia in
the 1940s…” → essentially the Australian equivalent of Dada
- Dada was active from 1916 to roughly 1924 in Zurich, Berlin, Hannover, Cologne,
Paris, and New York.
Some artists: Marcel Duchamp, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Sidney Nolan (Australian),
Arthur Boyd (Australian), Albert Tucker (Australian), John Brack (Australian), Charles Blackman
(Australian)
Some Dada artists: Joy Hester (Australian), George Bell (Australian), James Gleeson
(Australian), Marcel Duchamp, Raoul Hausmann.
- Hannah Hoch, Max Ernst, John Heartfield, Kurt Schwitters, Man Ray, Tristan Tzara,
Catalogue Artworks Brainstorming (Choosing 8)
Fountain by Marcel Duchamp Lovers by Joy Hesters (1949)
(1917)
The Art Critic Raoul
Huasmann (1919-1920)
, Mechanical Head (The Spirit
of our TIme) Raoul
Optophone I Francis Picabia
Hausmann (1920)
(1922) Elephant Celebes by Max
Ernst (1921)
The Kiss
MAN RAY, 1922. Dada
Le Violon d'Ingres by Man "God" Elsa von Freytag-
Ray, 1924 Loringhoven, 1917
Object by Méret Oppenheim,
1936
The sower by James L.H.O.O.Q.
Gleeson, 1944 Painting by Marcel Duchamp
and Rrose Sélavy
Joy Hesters
- Link to Catalogue. Title “Eigenheit,” (Modernism in Dada) meaning individualism
- Link to Presentation.
- Art Gallery of NSW collection.
Topic: Art and Society
Theme: Individualism in Dada (challenging the status quo; personal freedoms)
Task Overview
1. A curator’s statement. (Curator) (Tiffany)
● You should answer some or all of these questions:
● What is your theme?
● Why did you pick it?
● Did you find many works that fit this theme or was it difficult to find works?
● What do you want people to know about your theme?
2. An image of each of your eight artworks. (Artist) (Varona)
● Underneath each of the eight artworks, list the title, the artist, the medium and the year it
was created (the citation).
3. A critical review of the whole exhibition. (Critic) (Candace)
● This should include references to the world at the time of your exhibition and the
reception (generally) to this style of work.
4. A short paragraph about each work. (Audience) (Jess)
● It should inform us of something we wouldn’t know about the artwork from looking
quickly.
● This can be either historical information, artistic technique information, information about
the artist, or information about what the piece means. (3-4 sentences)
Main Ideas
Another social idea that emerged during modernism was a questioning of authority and the
status quo. This can be seen in the visual arts, where artists such as Pablo Picasso and Marcel
Duchamp challenged traditional notions of representation and aesthetics. An important aspect
was the challenging of traditional values in art and expanding the perception of what should be
considered as ‘art’.
Individualism: Modernism emphasised the importance of individualism and self-expression,
challenging traditional values and societal norms that restricted personal freedoms.
- https://artandcollectors.com/pages/australian-modernism-now-then-and-
always#:~:text=Indeed%2C%20while%20the%20men%20fought,new%20form%20of%2
0image%2Dmaking.
- “How an individual should lead his life, what should be the aim of an individual’s life –
answer of all these questions were sought out not by the individual himself, but by the
political, social, religious and other related institutions.”
https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/essay/characteristics-of-modernism-rationalism-
individualism-and-
, universalism/38467#:~:text=Individualism%20may%20be%20regarded%20as,the%20ba
sic%20concern%20for%20modernity.
- “Dada did not manifest in Australia to any degree whilst a vibrant entity overseas
between 1915-25. Though if it did manifest, it remains hidden to this day, the victim of
distance, apathy, and a generally critical public…” - Dada in Australia
- Research “The Angry Penguins” movement: “ was a modernist literary and artistic
movement that sought to shake up the entrenched cultural establishment of Australia in
the 1940s…” → essentially the Australian equivalent of Dada
- Dada was active from 1916 to roughly 1924 in Zurich, Berlin, Hannover, Cologne,
Paris, and New York.
Some artists: Marcel Duchamp, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Sidney Nolan (Australian),
Arthur Boyd (Australian), Albert Tucker (Australian), John Brack (Australian), Charles Blackman
(Australian)
Some Dada artists: Joy Hester (Australian), George Bell (Australian), James Gleeson
(Australian), Marcel Duchamp, Raoul Hausmann.
- Hannah Hoch, Max Ernst, John Heartfield, Kurt Schwitters, Man Ray, Tristan Tzara,
Catalogue Artworks Brainstorming (Choosing 8)
Fountain by Marcel Duchamp Lovers by Joy Hesters (1949)
(1917)
The Art Critic Raoul
Huasmann (1919-1920)
, Mechanical Head (The Spirit
of our TIme) Raoul
Optophone I Francis Picabia
Hausmann (1920)
(1922) Elephant Celebes by Max
Ernst (1921)
The Kiss
MAN RAY, 1922. Dada
Le Violon d'Ingres by Man "God" Elsa von Freytag-
Ray, 1924 Loringhoven, 1917
Object by Méret Oppenheim,
1936
The sower by James L.H.O.O.Q.
Gleeson, 1944 Painting by Marcel Duchamp
and Rrose Sélavy
Joy Hesters
