Dada

Dada was an art movement originating in Switzerland which came to fruition as a reaction to WWI and the patriotism that was believed to fuel it. Artists used poetry, photography, sculptures, painting, and collage to convey ideas that opposed the middle-class culture. They were eager to create a space in which people could heal and be freed from the madness of their time.

Dadaists worked to attack traditional art by showcasing absurdist art – created with the intention to shock their audiences – and presenting barrages of manifestos.

Moustaches c.1925 Jean Arp (Hans Arp) 1886-1966 Presented by Mr and Mrs Robert Lewin through the Friends of the Tate Gallery 1988 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/T05504

untitled (squares arranged according to the laws of chance) 1917

Hugo Ball

Katzen and Pfauen (1916)

Reciting the Sound Poem Karawane (1916)

Francis Picabia

Ici, C’est Stieglitz (Here, This is Stieglitz) (1915)

Dances at the Spring (1912)

Dada was founded in 1916 in Zurich as WWI raged throughout Europe. It took inspiration from cubism, futurism, constructivism, and expressionism. A few of the more notable dadaists included Jean Hans Arp, Hugo Ball, and Francis Picabia.

I admire the accidental side of these artworks as it showcases products that weren’t put together meticulously that can still express the passionate messages that the artists were eager to share. It reintroduces how experimental you can truly be with art because, although individuals can express themselves in endless ways within art, there are still labels, genres, categories and more that can become intimidating when your idea is not as clear-cut as someone else’s might be.