DADA

Dada or Dadaism is a cultural movement that began in Zurich, Switzerland during World War I and peaked from 1916 to 1922.Literally, the word dada means several things in several languages: "hobbyhorse" in French, good-bye or get off my back in German and "yes yes in Slavic.Some authorities say that the name Dada is a nonsensical word chosen at random from a dictionary.

Dada was, officially, not a movement, its artists not artists and its art not art. Dada was a literary and artistic attitude born in Europe at a time when the shocking tragedies of World War I were happening in their own lives. These citizens were furious that the advanced European society would allow the war to have happened. They were so angry, in fact, that they undertook the time-honored tradition of protesting.

The Machine Age is a term associated mostly with the early 20th century. The Machine Age and WWI greatly affected the world of art.

Banding together in a loosely-knit group, these writers and artists used any public forum they could find to (metaphorically) spit on nationalism, rationalism, materialism and any other -ism which they felt had contributed to a senseless war. photo montage by Raoul Hausmann

DaDas leading member was Marcel Duchamp, who in 1913 created his first ready-made: the "Bicycle Wheel," consisting of a wheel mounted on the seat of a stool.

Dada artists typically produced art objects in different forms produced by unusual methods. They often used collage and assemblage of everyday mechanical objects. Fountain (1917) by Frenchman Marcel Duchamp; photograph by Alfred Stieglitz.

As if the mustache and beard weren't enough of a poke at this most famous of paintings, the letters he penciled L.H.O.O.Q. at the bottom are meaningless in English, but when read aloud in French means: "She has a hot behind."Duchamp took this postcard of the Mona Lisa and painted a mustache on it.

(he thought, why should an artists want to contribute time and effort to a society in the face of such brutality)

Mechanical Head ,1919 assemblage:*mannequin head *aluminum cup *brass & cardboard labels *part of a telescope *a pipe *dressmaker's measure*a watch gear-wheel*a printing roller, Raoul Hausmann

Hausmann used new techniques in many mediums, shocking juxtapositions, collages, and nonsensical writings. Also, various abstract art styles developed during the 20th century, as the realm of the real in art was taken over by photography.Raoul Hausmann (Austrian)

Max Ernst Germany Two Ambiguous Figures, 1920 (ambiguous - having a double meaning)Murdering Airplane

Dada-like activities were created by American artist/photographer, Man Ray and French artist, Francis Picabia. Man Ray: Violin In the U.S. the movement was centered in New York at famous photographer, Alfred Stieglitz's gallery, 291.

Portrait of Francis Picabia by Man RayLove Parade 1917 Francis Picabia

Francis Picabia

Man Ray, American (working in France)

Das Undbild, 1919 ("The And-Picture")Kurt Schwitters, German

George Grosz, also a German Expressionist

visualDADADADAARTPatteson

Dada had only one rule: Never follow any known rules.Dada self-destructedwhen it was in dangerof becoming "acceptable".

Max ErnstDadaism developed into the more popular style of SURREALISM

To be continued ...

Collage can go beyond the two-dimensional format.A three-dimensional collage is called an assemblage.

ReliefAssemblage

(one-sided) sculpture

RepresentationalNon-representational

Mobileassemblage

One of the most famous assemblage artists was American artist, Louise Nevelson.

Louise Nevelson is known for her Abstract Expressionist crates grouped together to form a new creation. She used found objects or everyday discarded things in her assemblages, one of which was three stories high.

"When you put together things that other people have thrown out, youre really bringing them to life a spiritual life that surpasses the life for which they were originally created."

Nevelson often worked in shallow-relief, and often monochromatically. Nevelson's work is not easily allied with any one movement, though it has been variously linked to Cubism, Dada, and Abstract Expressionism.