Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Not Papa, Dada

You know the artistic movement Dadaism?  Me neither and it's not for lack of trying.  I've looked it up several times and the info just slides right out my ears.  One more time!  And ... well, no wonder.  Turns out Dadaism was more of a cultural and political movement, not just an artistic style.  The movement 'focused on decrying and satirizing the arrogant, commercial, military and political regimes relevant to World War I'.  Dada artists include Man Ray!  He's the guy who snapped a photograph of a woman's back and made it look like a cello.  Marcel Duchamp!  Totally heard of him.  'Readymades' were his forte.  He took industrial objects and made alterations - some minor - and voila, Art.  Remember the tower of vacuum cleaners (Jeff Koons "The New Shelton Wet/Dry Triple Decker) purchased by the Des Moines Art Center in the 1980's? I believe there was some controversy at the time over whether or not it was art. Sounds like Dada to me. 

Art in America, Jun/Jul2006, Vol. 94 Issue 6, p142-207, 12p.
Three books about Dadaism

1 comment:

cboy said...

Interesting.