Exquisite Corpse

This picture was made by taking a piece of paper and making 4 sections.  Each person in the group was in charge of one section, and they weren't allowed to see what the other person drew.  This activity relates to surrealism ideals because the picture we drew is very abstract and creative.  The picture is chaotic and is not supposed to make sense.  The pieces from the 20th century art movement were abstract like this as well.

Dada Final

1. Cut / Copy / Rearrange (B&W)

2. Color Blocks

3. Text

4. Halftone Screen

I thought it was really cool to do an abstract project.  This project was a lot more creative then the ones that we usually do.  I like how everyones projects look different and unique.  These pieces showcase our personalities better and also who we are as artists.  I like how my pieces turned out because I used colors that went well together and I tried a ton of things on each piece until they looked good.  This project ties into aspects of Dada because we created unconventional/abstract art instead of pieces that look normal and pretty to the eye.  Also, certain types of the abstract art, like the text/dada poem were actually popular pieces to make during that time.

Dada Studio Experimentation

MoMA & Dada

Questions from the article

1. Dada is a unique form of art that originated during the World War II era.  This type of art is special because it used many types of unconventional art that kept people talking about it.  Originally, a ton of people hated this movement because they just didn't get it, and they didn't understand how these pieces could be considered art.  Dada came into existence to give true criticism and perception of that time period.

2. Marcel Duchamp's "Readymades" were pieces of art that challenged the perception of art in that time period because people were used to art being handcrafted, beautiful creations.  These pieces were not exactly pretty to look at, and they were quite ordinary.  The Readymades change your expectation of what art can be because they "defy the notion that art must be beautiful".  Duchamp's pieces led to the creation of conceptual art (art in service of the mind).

Duchamp's "In Advance of the Broken Arm"
 

3. Dada artists turned to non-art making strategies and embraced chance, accident, and improvisation.  This led to many forms of abstract art.  The artists used these new techniques in order to rebel from the perception that art must be controlled and intentional.  They also used the techniques to criticize the mechanized and violent world that they were living in at that time.

Man Ray's "The Rope Dancer Accompanies Herself with Shadows"

4. The value of art made by Dadaists was NOT in the work that they produced, but the act of working with other artists to create new visions of the cruel world that they were living in.

5. Dada artists worked with words because they liked the idea of "destroying words and disrupting syntax".  They wanted to undermine rational and ordered society by creating more unconventional pieces of art.  This time, they did it by turning words into abstract and illegible forms.  Also, they used the techniques of chance and fragmentation again.

van Doesburg and Schwitter's "Kleine Dada Soiree"

Questions About Art

1. What is a work of art?

A work of art is anything that is seen as beautiful or creative in the eyes of the viewer.  Art can be anything as long as someone thinks it is.  There are no limitations to what a work of art can be.  A work of art to someone might mean absolutely nothing to someone else.  Art is very subjective.

2. What should an artwork provide to both the maker and the viewer?

 

To the maker, an artwork should provide happiness and the feeling of accomplishment.  The artist should be proud of their piece and be excited to show it to others.  To the viewer, an artwork should provide new intellectual experiences and the encouragement to try something new.  Art should be used as an expression of yourself and also as a tool to help people open their mind to new things.

 

3. Why do people make art?

People make art for many different reasons.  It could be to express themselves, showcase creativity, or it can even act as a source of therapy for some people.  Every artist has a different reason as to why they want to make art, and it really depends on the person.

4. Where does one encounter art? 

Art can be found in all places and anywhere you look.  It depends on what the individual views as art.  For some people, art means paintings or sculptures.  For others, such as people involved in the dada movement, art can be anything.  So yes, art could be a painting, but for others even something like a shovel is art.  

5. What is the role of the artist?
 

The role of the artist is to create a piece that represents who they are as a person.  They also aim to tell a story to a viewer just through things like pictures or paintings.  Artists want their creations to challenge people to think about what their pieces mean.  Art is open to countless interpretations. 

Dada Poem

original quote: "I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies"

scrambled quote: "beg dream to lies and hollow from the I"