Context Practice: OUGD601 - Context of Practice practical - Initial Research

Dada - The Dada art movement formed in 1916 in Zurich, Switzerland. A number different creatives and literates came here to find escape from the First World War, together they started the Dada art movement, the Dadaists were built on rejection of a number of things happening in the world at the time, for example they rejected the war and criticised the stupidity of it, and the rejection of art or the art scene in the west, criticising it for being just something for the bourgoise (Higher classes and elites). The Dadaists voiced this rejection through programmes and art work which Having looked at within the contextual will help to influence the practical outcome of a manifesto. Here are a number of influences which will help to achieve my practical outcome;

Tristan Tzara - The Dada Manifesto - Written in 1918 Tzaras manifesto is seen as the most important of the Dada movement, especially of the early years in Zurich. Tzara was a poet and writer who became the editor of many of the Dada programmes. It outlines the personal and collective ideas of the group in unique ways, using poetic verses and non-sensical explanations of the movement, this was a tactic which was popular amongst the Dadaists, using tactics to cause confusion and obscure understanding, this was all in an effort to annoy the bourgoise classes they dissaproved of. Through examining Tzaras work I found quotes and ideas within which helps to understand how manifestos can be formed, and how ideas can be put in unique ways.

Quotes -

"To put out a manifesto you must want: ABC to fulminate against 123" - this is an interesting metaphor the ABC Tzara refers to is a set of ideas and aims you have and the '123' is something to protest against. Tzara believes that a manifesto needs something to be agaisnt, to reject, and through this the personal manifesto can be effective.

"And so Dada was born of a need for independence, of a distrust toward unity" - Tzara here credits the desire for independence as a reason for the Dada movement beginning, this is unusual as movements normally are shared collectives and this is true of Dada but Tzara here means the shared intentions of the group to keep there individuality and freedom, each member being from different backgrounds and occupations (writers, artists, poets). This is evidence that a collective of people can come together with different ideas, influences and styles and still work under the same umbrella of thought.

"Here we cast anchor in rich ground. Here we have a right to do some proclaiming" - Tzara speaks here of the freedom which Dada offered, it was a platform for them to speak about issues and ideals within what they did, it was a movement in which each member explored there creative freedom.

Raoul Hausmann -

Art Critic - is a 1919 photomontage piece by Raoul Hausmann. Hausmanns work uses one of his poster poem pieces as background, ink, newspaper clippings, a bank note, a stamp and markers of style such as spats and brogue shoes. These elements connect the art world and capitalism, Hausmann held strong veiws on this topic which he used satirically a number of times. Hausmanns veiws were the center piece for how he worked, this shows how he implememnted his own manifesto to his work.

ABCD - Hausmanns 1923 peice is a summary of his Dada activities and interests, constructed after the members of Club Dada had gone there seperate ways. It promotes a number of countries which the Dada group visited and toured to, aswell as his own interests and styles.

Francis Picabia -

l'oeil cacodylate - (The cacodylic Eye) This piece by Picabia from 1921 is an oil and collage piece which uses the title within its work, the work refers to the harsh treatment of eye disorders, the work also contains Picabias signature and small portrait. Once finished Picabia set the peice up in his home and allowed friends and colleagues to then complete it. More than forty people added there signatures and other things to the peice. This piece started off as Picibias work on the treatment of eyes, though him allowing for many others to add details and such the message has been changed and warped, creating a much more unique peice. This is peice was achieved through collaboration, an aspect which should be touched upon within the proposed manifesto.

George Grosz -

Germany Shirtless is a 1919 collage by George Grosz, which uses the chaos of words and photographs thrown together to represent how mass media forms the soul of the bourgeois. Grosz's collage uses paper clippings and imagery to undermine the german government at the time, in an obscured attack on nationalism in Germany. Grosz peice voices opinions and ideas through collage which is full of irony, Grosz was known for his political, satirical work which manifested it self in a number of ways.

Supporting Dada Art work (Style and Design Influence)