Question 2
Dada
1916
Dada and surrealism dominated between WW1 and WW2
Questioned traditional values of society
Dramatic influence on subsequent art
Literary manifestation
Originated in Zurich (Switzerland)
Ended by 1922 due to its absurdity
Huge influence as it wasn’t only destructive, opened a new way to
create art.
Hobby horse in French or the first word of a child
Influences:
- Influenced by war and people’s emotions about the war
- Disgust at the barbarity of war
- According to the Dadaists, the government started the Great War for autocratic and
materialistic gain
- Solution – political anarchy
- Importance on human emotions
- Protest movement (protesting against traditional social values that made war
possible)
- During WWI German writer and poet, Hugo Ball, established the Cabaret Voltaire in
Zurich (Switzerland)
A centre for artists and writers sharing an outlook of protest against the society
of their time
Characteristics:
- Not a style but rather a state of mind
- Protest art era
- Intention – shock and mock
- Negative movement which wanted to destroy all
traditions in art
- Modern art was also mocked
- Hardly used ordinary media in painting and
sculptures
- Revolt against logic and reason
- Explored sub conscience in art
,Artists:
Hans Arp
- used torn and pasted paper
- not only negative; liberated creative soul and introduced a new way of creative art
- used method of chance tore up drawing and threw on floor and then pasted them
where they fell. Way to express in a world that is increasingly organized. Leads to
spontaneous moment.
Collage with Squares Arranged
According to the Laws of Chance
– Hans Arp
Kurt Schewitters
- German artist
- Collages and installations
- Created with junk
- Used formal elements like colour, shape etc
- Showed everything can be used to create art.
Merz Picture 29A, Picture with
Flywheel – Kurt Schewitters
,Marcel Duchamp
- French
- Successful painter with Variations of avant-garde style
- Marcel was disgusted with the ruling order in art so his conclusion was to reject
traditional art and the meaninglessness of the world.
- He mocked traditional art values by choosing manufacturing object and declaring it
to be art going against the belief the idea of art being unique.
- Believed that aesthetic was irrelevant and it exists as art because the artist chose it.
- An object becomes art because the artist declares it to be art
- The Ready-Made is thus an ordinary manufactured object that becomes “art”
because of the artist’s choice, it is also anti-art because it is against the idea of the
artwork as labour intensive
- Says that anything is art, which means that nothing is art
Bicycle Wheel – Marcel Duchamp
Fountain – Marcel Duchamp
, Surrealism
1920
Beyond or above reality
Art born from the subconscious
Influences:
- Dada > many Dada artists became surrealists
Felt that it was too absurd and destructive = more positive action
Under Brenton’s leadership, artists and writers wanted to create an art based on
the irrational chance of art
- Influenced by the art of children, naïve art and art of the mentally disturbed
- Influence of Modern Psychology
Sigmund Freud
Characterises:
- The rule of illogic rather than reasoning
- The exploration of the unconscious
- The importance of the dream world
- Suppressed in the conscious mind, namely to do with sexuality, violence and death
- Often used symbols with sexual connotations
- Surrealism wanted to escape and conquer the chaos of their time
Automatism:
- Creativity is automatic and the use of chance is more important than rational
thought
- To draw or paint without any preconceived ideas
- Characterised by organic, biomorphic and amoeba-like shapes
- Subconscious mind creates colours, lines and shapes in a hypnotic condition
- Frottage: places a piece of paper on a textured surface and rub over it
- Decalcomania: black paint is spread over paper, another sheet is pressed over it,
lifted and drawn on
Dada
1916
Dada and surrealism dominated between WW1 and WW2
Questioned traditional values of society
Dramatic influence on subsequent art
Literary manifestation
Originated in Zurich (Switzerland)
Ended by 1922 due to its absurdity
Huge influence as it wasn’t only destructive, opened a new way to
create art.
Hobby horse in French or the first word of a child
Influences:
- Influenced by war and people’s emotions about the war
- Disgust at the barbarity of war
- According to the Dadaists, the government started the Great War for autocratic and
materialistic gain
- Solution – political anarchy
- Importance on human emotions
- Protest movement (protesting against traditional social values that made war
possible)
- During WWI German writer and poet, Hugo Ball, established the Cabaret Voltaire in
Zurich (Switzerland)
A centre for artists and writers sharing an outlook of protest against the society
of their time
Characteristics:
- Not a style but rather a state of mind
- Protest art era
- Intention – shock and mock
- Negative movement which wanted to destroy all
traditions in art
- Modern art was also mocked
- Hardly used ordinary media in painting and
sculptures
- Revolt against logic and reason
- Explored sub conscience in art
,Artists:
Hans Arp
- used torn and pasted paper
- not only negative; liberated creative soul and introduced a new way of creative art
- used method of chance tore up drawing and threw on floor and then pasted them
where they fell. Way to express in a world that is increasingly organized. Leads to
spontaneous moment.
Collage with Squares Arranged
According to the Laws of Chance
– Hans Arp
Kurt Schewitters
- German artist
- Collages and installations
- Created with junk
- Used formal elements like colour, shape etc
- Showed everything can be used to create art.
Merz Picture 29A, Picture with
Flywheel – Kurt Schewitters
,Marcel Duchamp
- French
- Successful painter with Variations of avant-garde style
- Marcel was disgusted with the ruling order in art so his conclusion was to reject
traditional art and the meaninglessness of the world.
- He mocked traditional art values by choosing manufacturing object and declaring it
to be art going against the belief the idea of art being unique.
- Believed that aesthetic was irrelevant and it exists as art because the artist chose it.
- An object becomes art because the artist declares it to be art
- The Ready-Made is thus an ordinary manufactured object that becomes “art”
because of the artist’s choice, it is also anti-art because it is against the idea of the
artwork as labour intensive
- Says that anything is art, which means that nothing is art
Bicycle Wheel – Marcel Duchamp
Fountain – Marcel Duchamp
, Surrealism
1920
Beyond or above reality
Art born from the subconscious
Influences:
- Dada > many Dada artists became surrealists
Felt that it was too absurd and destructive = more positive action
Under Brenton’s leadership, artists and writers wanted to create an art based on
the irrational chance of art
- Influenced by the art of children, naïve art and art of the mentally disturbed
- Influence of Modern Psychology
Sigmund Freud
Characterises:
- The rule of illogic rather than reasoning
- The exploration of the unconscious
- The importance of the dream world
- Suppressed in the conscious mind, namely to do with sexuality, violence and death
- Often used symbols with sexual connotations
- Surrealism wanted to escape and conquer the chaos of their time
Automatism:
- Creativity is automatic and the use of chance is more important than rational
thought
- To draw or paint without any preconceived ideas
- Characterised by organic, biomorphic and amoeba-like shapes
- Subconscious mind creates colours, lines and shapes in a hypnotic condition
- Frottage: places a piece of paper on a textured surface and rub over it
- Decalcomania: black paint is spread over paper, another sheet is pressed over it,
lifted and drawn on
