Introduction to Dadaism: The Anti-Establishment Art Movement
Dada or Dadaism was an art movement that was formed Great wartime in 1915. This art movement was an anti-establishment art movement, The word dada is a French word that means ‘hobby horse’. This art movement was started after the World War 1. The main places this art movement flourished were in Zurich and New York. This art movement was the only art movement that was named by them. The policy statement was given by Andre Breton (a French writer and poet, the co-founder, leader, and principal theorist of surrealism) in which he stated dada is a state of mind. This art movement was not an art instead it was a protest.
Dadaism is a rage against the war
Dadaism was an international movement that showed the sufferings after the war and how useless and mockery modern society was. This art movement was antiwar and anti-bourgeois. This art movement is considered a thoroughgoing art movement. The main was to show the rage against the war. To attack the art organization for the middle class. Dadaists wanted to destroy the art that was based on reason and logic they replaced it with the art of chaos, primitive, and irrationality. The dadaist started to consider that the modern word is meaningless. They wanted to induce an emotional reaction from the audience. During this art moment, anything can be art or there’s no art at all.
Art Techniques: Collage, Photomontage, and Ready-Made Creations
During this art movement, the Dada used unusual colors. Their art was sarcastic and absurd. There is no specific material was used during this art era. During this art movement literally, anything could be used as art material as they used to create art pieces by assembling pieces creating collages, photo montages, and materials that were already ready-made. The art movements that influenced this magnificent art movement were Abstraction and expressionism. This art movement was also considered the anti-art movement and the nihilist (rejecting all religious beliefs) movement.
Characteristics of Dadaist Art: Chaos, Humor, and Irrationality
The key characteristics of this art movement includes such as humor, whimsy, artistic freedom, emotional reaction, irrationalism, and spontaneity. Their artwork was simple, and they appreciated the irrationality. Their art was primitive, organic, and biomorphic (they painted, sculpted, and designed art that suggests it’s the shape of a living organism). The dadaist also rejected cultural and standard values in their artwork, to challenge the social norms.
Key Figures of Dadaism: Influential Artists and Their Works
Some important artists in this art movement are Hans Arp, Marcel Duchamp, Hannah Hoch, and Kurt Schwitters. Hans was a German and French artist and sculptor he was a Dadaist and an abstract artist his most famous art is Square Arranged according to the law of chance. Marcel Duchamp is most famous for profoundly altering the trajectory of modern art and ready-made items his most famous art is the fountain. Hannah Hoch was a German famous for photomontage in her work her most famous artwork is Cut with the Kitchen Knife Dada Through the Last Weimar Beer Belly Cultural Epoch of Germany. Kurt Schwitters was a German artist whose main focus was on collages and relief constructions his famous artwork was Merzbau.
Conclusion
- This art movement was the reaction or protest against the war.
- The art was mockery, sarcasm, irrationalism, and humor.
- During this art movement, anything can be art or nothing is art.
- During this art movement, they started to use collages, photomontages, and ready-made items.
