DADA art

The Dada art movement was started in Zurich Switzerland by Hugo Ball and Jean Arp as a conscious reaction to the madness of World War I. If logic and reason had produced a world where millions were butchered and incinerated in the fires of war, what possible good is logic and reason? As we stand on the precipice of another great world wide calamity, this question seems more applicable today than ever before. The DADA movement held that nothing was sacred and any ideas are "fair game" in the expression of "ART." -- Nonsense, spontaneity, ridiculousness, humor, shock, and even madness itself were all "canonized." The practice of collage, assembly art, found art, random poetry, and many other techniques were developed by adherents to this "ART." They staged performances that confused and shocked the spectators. Eventually the movement cannibalized itself and by the mid 1920's there were few dedicated adherents left. Most joined other art movements. Tristan Tzara would be an exception and his book "Seven DADA Manifestos" is highly recommended. I particularly like the essay "Note on Art"

copyright (c) 2016

William Schaeffer