Dada Dada art is characterized by a concerted

Dada

Dada art is “characterized by a concerted and sustained attempt to undermine cherished notions and assumptions about art. ” – Kleiner Tristan Tzara ca. 1918

“Cubism was a school of painting, Futurism a political movement: DADA is a state of mind. ” – Andre Breton Dada was a reaction to “the insane spectacle of collective homicide” (war). – Kleiner Hugo Ball Reciting Karawane at the Cabaret Voltaire, Zürich 1916 photograph

The founders selected the word DADA at random from a French. German dictionary (according to legend). “Dada” refers to a child’s hobby horse in French. But the word itself was likely chosen for its sound – like the repetition of a nonsense baby word. Hugo Ball Karawane 1916 poem

Dada can be: • art by chance • “ready made” or “found art” • collage • automatic art • free association activities Jean Arp Collage Arranged According to the Laws of Chance 1916 -17 torn and pasted paper 19 1/8 x 13 5/8 in.

Francis Picabia Portrait of Cezanne 1920 mixed media

Marcel Duchamp The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (The Large Glass) 1915 -23 oil, lead wire, foil, dust, varnish, glass 8 ft. 11 in. x 5 ft. 7 in.

“Found objects, ” or “ready made” sculptures are central to the Dada movement, and associated with Duchamp. Although many other artists since, including Picasso, have employed the practice. Marcel Duchamp Bicycle Wheel 1913 assemblage 23 3/4 in. high

“The “artness” of this work lies in the artist’s choice of this object, which has the effect of conferring the status of art on it and forces the viewer to see the object in a new light. ” – Kleiner Choice + Context: The artist chooses an object and places it in a context that establishes it as “art. ” 144. Marcel Duchamp Fountain 1917 porcelain urinal

144. Marcel Duchamp Fountain 1917 porcelain urinal • Duchamp is seen as the most influential Dada artist. • This is his first “ready made”. He took mass produced objects and “rectified” them as art. • The back is signed as R. MUTT and is a pseudonym for the Mott plumbing company and the Jeff comic strip. • Duchamp forced the viewer to see objects in a new light.

Marcel Duchamp L. H. O. O. Q. 1919 drawing on photographic reproduction 7 3/4 in. x 4 1/8 in.

“Contradiction, paradox, irony, and even blasphemy are Dada’s bequest. ” – Kleiner Man Ray Gift 1921 flatiron with nails 6 1/2 in. high

Collage and Photomontage were techniques used by the Dadaists. The proliferation of print media in the early 20 th century influenced the use of collage and photomontage. Raoul Hausmann Tatlin at Home 1920 collage 16 1/8 x 11 in.

Raoul Hausmann Dada Siegt! 1920 watercolor and collage on paper on board 23 5/8 x 17 3/4 in.

First International Dada Art Fair Berlin 1920