Dada Surrealism The birth of conceptual art and

Dada & Surrealism The birth of conceptual art and art of the subconscious

Dada ¡Created during World War I in Zurich, Switzerland – protesting the degradation of European society and the mass destruction of the war. ¡The term Dada comes from their nonsense attitude toward conventional language - random nonsense poetry out of words cut from pages and dropped on a table. ¡The Dada message: all European culture was decadent and devoid of meaning. ¡The Dada movement made some artistic discoveries in their desire to be controversial including: phonetic poetry, photomontage, and assemblage. ¡Goal: to shock and to awaken the imagination

Marcel Duchamp. Fountain. (1917) Ready made.

Duchamp with his Fountain in a gallery…

Marcel Duchamp. L. H. O. O. Q (1919) Ready made.

Marcel Duchamp. Bicycle Wheel (1951) Ready made.

Surrealism ¡Surrealism, as an artistic style, developed out of fantasy art and the Dada movement. ¡Grew out of Freudian free-association and dream analysis ¡“Surrealism” literally means “beneath the realistic surface of life” or a dream world of unreality. ¡Some Surrealists create art in a dreamlike induced state (similar to being unconscious), like Joan Miro. ¡Other Surrealists, such as Dali and Magritte, use logical or recognizable subject matter in very illogical situations creating weird associations.

Salvador Dali. Metamorphosis of Narcissus. (1937) Oil on canvas.

Rene Magritte. Time Transfixed. (1938) Oil on canvas.

Rene Magritte. Son of Man (1946) Oil on canvas.

More Rene Magritte…

Man Ray. Indestructable Object (or Object That Must be Destroyed) (1923 / 1964)

Meret Oppenheim. Object. (1936) Teacup, saucer and spoon covered with fur.