Charles Loy
ISTA 301
Dr. Kelland
Sept 2014
Dada, Yes Yes; Art For Art Sake, ARen'T
Dr. David Hopkins, a Professor of Art History at the University of Glasgow and
Director, Institute of Art History, gives a dynamic overview of World War I (WWI) Dada
and Surreal art. He uses words and pictorial imagery, in addition to citing’s his peers, to
show what Dada represents and what it doesn't. Upon first glance of the David’s chapter
entitled Dada and Surrealism - a historical view, a reader might think the document is a
clinical, sterile or everyday (bourgeois) overview of this segment of time in art history.
On the contrary this chapter from book Dada and Surrealism: A Very Short Introduction
(Hopkins 2004) is the opposite, pushing boundaries (avant-garde) in conception,
realization and imagery. This paper will discuss how Hopkins reveals how Dadaist and
Surrealist artists, of the early 20th century pushed away the concepts and values of
traditional art and took an anti-war philosophy in an unorthodox, daring or radical
viewpoint.
Hopkins devotes a section of text to this chapter entitled “avant-garde.” Literally
translated from French to English (dictionary.com 2014); it is defined as forefront or
before the beginning. The reading alludes that the meaning of avant-garde is; to push this
into clear view so that everyone can see. Henri de Saint-Simone, a French social
reformer created the phrase “avant-garde.” (Hopkins 2). Saint-Simone grants a Laissezfaire attitude, “members of … could temporarily escape the material constraints and
contraindications of everyday existence.” Dadaism and Surrealism is not limited to
picture art, it also included poetry (written), music (performed) and theater (presented)
aspects. One very famous photographic image “Fountain” (1917) is a degraded,
discarded man’s toilet that Marcel Duchamp wrote words “R. Mutt” in black ink.
Duchamp shows an unorthodox anti-art protest with this previously own privy. Duchamp
did this to show he now owns this trash turned into art.
A more modern take on avant-garde come from anti-artist Peter Bürger
author of Theorie der Avant-garde a 1974 radical protest of traditional or realistic art.
Bürger’s written work attacks how traditional art is taught, practiced, presented and
owned. He asserts that avant-garde is, “…undermining the idea of art’s autonomy (art for
art’s sake)” replacing with the “praxis of life.” Peter’s message questioned what is art?
How is taught? How is it made and perceived? In Dada art it is an individual persons
and/or group who interpret what art is. Not all art is beautiful or ecstatically pleasing to
the eye, not all music is melodic of even audible (4’33” Cage, J.) not all poetry rhymes.
It is fair to say that “[art]… is in the eye of the beholder (Margaret Hungerford, 1878).”
A historical analogy to Bürger is Martin Luther King Jr. Kings non-violent
resistance screamed praxis of life in the form of civil disobedience. MLK’s artful way he
used his words orchestrated a whole movement of protest and support. Dadaist art is
everything and nothing. The Dadaist poet Hugo Ball daringly penned Dada Manifesto
(1916). On purpose Ball wrote "Karawane” (1916). This poem makes an in-your-face
political statement. Radom words joined together, on purpose, to be pointless.
Dadaist art has transformed into different styles of art, one style is Neo-Dadaist
art. Ron Dakron, a neo-Dadaist, shows an equally audacious and anarchist message in
his novel Hello Devilfish! (2014). This Godzilla meets Cthulhu is a twist on classics
Japanese and American horror. It is also romance that rivals Shakespeare’s 1591 Romeo
and Juliet. Another neo-Dadaist Kevin Ranke wrote a, not quite a sonnet, Garmed
(2014). He slammed together words and phrases that separately have meaning, but put
together, do not. Ranke even uses onamonapia to shadow the anti-political undertone.
The Dadaist movement started in the early 20th century was a tumultuous
upheaval to the symmetry of traditional art. Avant guard led followers into social
protests in the form of artistic expression and daring anarchy. David Hopkins achieved
showing his readers a comprehensive view of Dada and Surrealism. The supplement to
the title “A Very Short Introduction.” is modest. Full of eye-opening revelations it is
avant-garde.