Dada

"Dada is a state of mind... Dada is artistic free thinking... Dada gives itself to nothing... ." This is how André Breton describes it, but Dada did not like labels or to be defined, that was the point.  Out with realism, beauty, and everything thought to be art.  Dada was bold, hard to understand and made the viewer think about what was going on.  You did not just look at this new style of art with an eye of beauty; you had to look deeper into the meaning and the expression of the artist.  There were times that you would question what the creator was thinking and how could that be considered art, and if the artist achieved this type of thinking from its viewers then there was Dadaism.  

Dada began as an anti-art movement; in the sense that it rejected the way art was appreciated. Out with everything we knew to be art and tired of the sense of contemporary art.  Several different mediums participated in this movement, painting, poetry, and theatre to name a few, and there were time mediums were coupled together. Merz performance is an example, this is the philosophy that any sound or unscripted words can be incorporated as material into a performance, a concept we found in the visual Dadaist’s, "ready-mades", or the use of "found objects”. The poetry was alive, and anything but we had ever read or heard before.  There are several examples of these reading, and you might be interested in, "Lucky Hans and Other Merz Fairy Tales (Oddly Modern Fairy Tales), written by, Kurt Schwitters in the 1920's.  This style you could find strange and unusual.  A bit on the odd side but a fun read to explore and share with your mind.

Dadaism

Dadaism is a cultural movement that began during World War I and peaked from 1916 to 1922 and concentrated on anti-war politics.  Dada opened the door for abstract artist and influenced pop art and laid the foundation for surrealism.  The Dada Manifesto is the international expression of our times, the great rebellion of artistic movements. 

Marcel Duchamp was at the forefront of this movement. Duchamp was not really interested “retinal art” or art that was visual he was more of an expressionist.  He is most know for his readymade, and ready-mades can be defined as an ordinary object elevated to the dignity of a work of art by the mere choice of and artist.

 

“Fountain”, by Marcel Duchamp 1917.

This piece he made use of an already existing object, a urinal and he titled it “Fountain” and signed it “R. Mutt”, the art show he submitted the piece stated that all works would be accepted.  This piece, Duchamp used the manufacture’s name as the artist, and everyone was ready to meet this new unknown artist not knowing the art was signed by Duchamp with a name that was on many urinal where urinal were on display where they were not considered a piece of art. 

Duchamp was defiant and had a sense of humor, we can see this in another piece he is know for.

 The famous Mona Lisa that has hung in the Louvre museum in Paris since the 1500’s painted by Leonardo da Vinci it was altered with the humor of Duchamp.    

Duchamp in 1919 drew on her face and Wrote L.H.O.Q.Q Phonetically: “Elle a chaud au cul”, or “She’s got a hot ass.”

The Dada period was defiant and Duchamp led the way opening doors for artist to express himself or herself in a way that shocked people. It made others look at art with an eye of not just, “beauty.”  Does art have to be beautiful, to be considered art?  The beauty is in the eye or sometimes the hand of the beholder.

Land Art

Land Art, Earthworks, or Earth Art are types of art created by artist with natural/ organic material gathered by the artist and used to construct the artist’s vision.  Artist such Andy Goldsworthy use materials such as leaves, stones, ice, twigs and branches what ever is available at hand given from nature.  Land art is typically ephemeral, and becomes part of its surroundings, and as the surroundings change so does the created art leaving it to erode under natural conditions or disappear all together.  Most of the time land art is photographed or recorded so to document it ever existing.  In the art world artist say that creating the art is part of the art itself.  What I mean by this is: the feeling and the process all become the art.  I want to know how you feel about this type of art or is it art?

Stonehenge

Stonehenge is the most popular viewed monument in the world, it is located in England, and it is believed to be erected around 2500 BC.  The Ditch and Banks are thought to be dug as burial grounds, the banks being the chalk from the ditch.  The mystery is how the hugh stones were brought there and erected into what we think to be, Sun Worship Temple, Healing Center, or even a huge calendar.  What do you Think about Stonehenge?