Dada
The first major anti-art movement, Dada was a revolt against the culture and values which - it was believed - had caused and supported the carnage of World War 1. It quickly developed into an anarchistic type of art whose aim was to subvert and undermine the value system of the ruling establishment which had allowed the war to occur. This included the arts establishment which the artists viewed as inextricably linked to the discredited socio-political status quo. Erupting simultaneously in 1916 in Europe and America, its leaders were typically very young, in their early twenties, and most had opted out, avoiding conscription in the shelter of neutral cities such as New York, Zurich and Barcelona. It embraced elements of art, music, poetry, theatre, dance and politics.
Incision With The Dada Kitchen Knife Through Germany's Last Weimar Beer Belly Cultural Epoch - Hannah Hoch
ABCD - Raoul Hausmann
This collage was described by Hausmann as a "poster poem". The letters 'ABCD' are clamped within the teeth of a photographic self portrait, which is the main theme of the piece. The work evokes a form of curiosity within the viewer.
Citation: "Dadaism." - Art and Anti Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2015.
Der Dada No. 2 - Raoul Hausmann, John Heartfield, George Grosz.
This magazine cover reflects expressionism that attacks the compliant social, political, and cultural attitudes that failed to oppose the world war. Expressionism, the most recent of the avant-garde movements, was quickly accepted and absorbed by the mainstream.
Citation: "Dadaism." - Art and Anti Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2015. .
The Spirit of Our Time - Raoul Hausmann
This sculpture serves as a metaphor for the inability of the establishment to inspire changes that were necessary to rebuild a better Germany after the war. It's satirical tone reflects a statement made by Hausmann that a corrupt society "has no more capabilities than those which chance has glued to the outside of his skull; his brain remains emptyā€¯.
Citation: "Dadaism." - Art and Anti Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2015. .
Life and Work in Universal City, 12:05 Noon - George Grosz and John Heartfield
Dada began to change after the war: it became less of an anti-art movement and adopted a more political stance. Germany struggled with its economy after the war, and Dadaists reflected their political concerns within their art, such as this work. The immediacy of this photographic imagery added an air of authority to their work by physically linking their ideas to the real world. The layout of these works was influenced by the flattened and fragmented arrangements of Cubism.
Citation: "Dadaism." - Art and Anti Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2015. .
The Pillars of Society - George Grosz
This group portrait manages to portray a German officer with a swastika, Alfred Hugenberg (the biased press baron), Friedrich Ebert (leader of the Social Democratic Party, first president of Germany after the war), and a clergyman whose face is flushed with the long term effects of alcohol. Dadaism began to grow more and more political as Germany began to suffer.
Citation: "Dadaism." - Art and Anti Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2015. .
L.H.O.O.Q. - Marcel Duchamp
Here Duchamp created a "readymade", which was a work that involved taking mundane objects that were not generally considered to be art and mildly transforming them and renaming them. This is a fine example of that ' transformation', Mona Lisa with facial hair.
Citation: "Dadaism." - Art and Anti Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2015. .
Fountain - Marcel Duchamp
This white porcelain urinal was lifted straight off the factory shelf and placed on a plinth as an artwork. Duchamp signed the object and declared it to be a work of art, challenging the establishment's position on what could be considered as art.
Citation: "Dadaism." - Art and Anti Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2015. .
Love Parade - Francis Picabia
Originating from New York, this piece is on of a series of absurd fantasies which present mechanical contraptions as a metaphor for human relationships. Picabia and Duchamp used this style to become the backbone of American Dadaism.
Citation: "Dadaism." - Art and Anti Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2015. .
Murdering Airplane - Max Ernst
This collage depicts a monstrous aircraft with human arms flying over a field. There are two soldiers carrying a third wounded soldier at the bottom right. This criticism of World War 1 had a special significance to Ernst, who served in the war, criticizing aerial warfare.
Citation: "Dadaism." - Art and Anti Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2015. .
Citations:
"Dadaism." - Art and Anti Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2015. <http://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/art_movements/dadaism.htm>.
"Dada | Art Movement." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 06 May 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/149499/Dada>.
"Dadaism." - Art and Anti Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2015. <http://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/art_movements/dadaism.htm>.
"Dada | Art Movement." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 06 May 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/149499/Dada>.