Lecture Notes: The Dada and Surrealism Movements

Context of Dadaism

• Nearly three million men died in WWI by spring 1916.
• Battle of the Somme: 25,000 killed in one day.
• Concepts of honor, family, art, religion, morality diminished in relevance; left as remnants.

Emergence of Dada

• Dada began amidst chaos and disillusionment.
• André Breton: Young medical student in a French military hospital, experimenting with patients suffering from shell shock.
• One soldier claims war is a sham, suggesting that wounds are make-believe and dead bodies are faked.

Cabaret Voltaire

• Hugo Ball opens Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich, a cultural hub for artists and writers.
• Dada is coined to describe their activities, characterized by contradiction: creative yet destructive.
• Dada seeks to replace logic with the nonsensical nature of life.

Dada Manifestos

• Tristan Tzara: Key figure writing Dada manifestos, expressing contradictions and opposition to common sense.
• Advocates for the rejection of principles and traditional moralities, emphasizing individual expression.

Artistic Developments

• Marcel Janco: Creates masks for performances that resonate with ancient theater yet remain modern.
• Emphasizes the expression of larger-than-life passions rather than human characters.
• Chance as a Creative Force: Artists embrace randomness over perfection.

Dadaist Techniques

• Dada Poetry: Tzara's method involves using newspaper clippings to create poems through random selection.
• Promotes originality through chaotic assembly.
• Francis Picabia and Marcel Duchamp: Significant contributors to Dada, challenging traditional aesthetics and art forms.

Duchamp's Influence

• Duchamp's works include provocative pieces like "Nude Descending a Staircase" and ready-mades, including a bicycle wheel and urinal ("Fountain").
• Challenges conventional notions of art and aesthetics, emphasizing conceptual over visual beauty.
• Key in developing anti-art sentiments.

Political Aspects of Dada

• By 1918, Dada in Berlin becomes politically charged, seeking revolutionary change.
• Richard Huelsenbeck and others articulate a manifesto focusing on radical communism and artistic expression.

Berlin Dada

• Emphasizes collective action and political engagement.
• Development of photomontage as a new form of art by artists like John Heartfield.
• Kurt Schwitters: Rejects Dadaism but creates the concept of "Merz" art, integrating eclectic materials into his work.

Transition to Surrealism

• André Breton shifts focus towards exploring the unconscious, merging Dada's chaos with a sense of purpose.
• Surrealism emerges, emphasizing dreams and irrationality as a form of expression.
• Use of automatic drawing and intuitive painting, as seen in works by André Masson.

Key Surrealist Artists

• Salvador Dalí: Combines Freudian concepts with visual artistry, creating illusions.
• René Magritte: Focuses on the interplay between reality and perception.
• Max Ernst: Explores collage and frottage techniques.

Surrealism and Politics

• Breton engages with the Communist Party, seeking a connection between art and revolutionary politics.
• Surrealism becomes intertwined with social and political movements, diverging from its artistic roots.

Late 20th Century Reflections

• Post-WWII reflections on Dada and Surrealism reveal a tension between art and societal expectations.
• Figures like Marcel Duchamp continue to influence the discourse around art, suggesting that art should be integrated into everyday life.

Conclusion

• Dada is viewed as a transient state of mind, adaptable and reflecting the contradictions of life.
• Surrealism evolves from Dada, exploring deeper dimensions of the psyche and art's relationship to reality.
• The legacy of both movements continues to provoke discussion on the role of art in society.