Early Modern Era - Influence of World War I
Cut with the Kitchen Knife Dada Through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch in Germany (c.1919) by Hannah Höch
Cut paper collage
Berlin, Germany
Dada arose as a direct reaction to World War I (WWI) and the nationalism that many thought led to the war. Although Dada artists did not have a unifying style, they did have unifying ideals. Dadaists were not focused on creating aesthetically pleasing works; rather, Dadaists produced works that generated questions about society, offended upper-class sensibilities, and showed an irreverence towards traditional art.
Hannah Höch's collage above is certainly different from the more traditional works that were typical up to this point. This work does not have a distinct subject, and the eyes wander trying to make sense of all the components. Germany's government had completely changed after WWI and the country was rife with conflict. Here, Höch is creating a juxtaposition by taking political figures that the Dadaists were not fans of and displaying them next to intellectuals, radicals, entertainers, and artists. This work also has feminist elements. The map in the lower right corner depicts countries where women had gained the right to vote. This suggests that the title refers to women cutting through the male "beer-belly" culture in Germany.
There seems to be a lot of commentary in this work that could take hours of analysis to uncover. The use of space helps achieve this; the artist placed each cut-out image intentionally to create a message. Shape is used interestingly in this collage as well, for example, in the upper right-hand corner, it looks like the shape of two wrestlers is used to mimic a mustache on a politician (a very Dadaist move, to poke fun at politicians in this way). Range in color is lacking due to all of the images being cut out from newspapers and magazines from the early 1900s. I do like this artwork because of its ability to deliver a message. It is not exactly a beautiful work, in my opinion, but it is an interesting piece of history that depicts people's attitudes after a devastating war and it remains a thought-provoking piece.
The Spirit of our Time (c. 1920) by Raoul Hausmann
Dummy with mixed media
Paris, France
This is another Dada work influenced by WWI. Dada artists were known to take random, everyday objects and give them a new meaning, which Hausmann has done here by adding items like a ruler and a collapsible cup to the head. According to The Art Story, Hausmann said that this sculpture is an ironic illustration of an average member of society who "has no more capabilities than those which chance has glued to the outside of his skull; his brain remains empty." This work represents the artist's dissatisfaction with the German government, and their inability to make necessary changes to work towards a better nation.
One way this sculpture effectively relays its message is through its smooth texture. Hausmann apparently sanded the wood; I feel that the intentional smooth texture highlights the fact that many members of society at the time could only have experiences that could be measured, and failed to have deeper thoughts. The forms that make up the facial features give the sculpture a rather blank expression that indicates a lack of deeper thought. Finally, I find that the line made by the ruler draws the viewer's attention immediately. Once you register what is going on, you begin to analyze the other details involved in this work. This is a statement work that is not particularly pleasing to view in my opinion, but I understand its historical significance. These two works belong in a museum or art gallery where they can be appreciated.
Composition A (c. 1920) by Piet Mondrian
46 x 46cm, oil on canvas
Netherlands
In 1918, the De Stijl manifesto proclaimed, "The war is destroying the old world with its content... The new art has brought to light that which is contained in the new consciousness of age: a relationship of equality between the universal and the individual." Artists of De Stijl relied on pure abstraction and a limited color palette to express an ideal of universal harmony in the arts. During a time of conflict, they believed their vision of modern art would transcend cultural divisions and become a new common language.
Composition A achieves this universal language and expresses harmony with its asymmetrical arrangement of geometric shapes in primary colors. The use of color creates "harmonious tension;" the large blocks of color that threaten to overwhelm the composition are balanced by other blocks. Line and shape are also paramount in this work. With the placement of different colors in the squares, the lines seem as if they are not perfectly square. Personally, this work is not my cup of tea; lovely paintings of landscapes and still lifes are more likely to elicit a feeling of harmony for me. The primary colors and bold lines give a sterile and flat feeling. However, I do appreciate that De Stijl played an important role in abstract style. I imagine that seeing this in person in a gallery could provide an interesting perspective on it.
References
"Dada Movement." The Art Story, https://www.theartstory.org/movement/dada/.
"Dadaism - Art and Anti-Art." Artyfactory, https://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/art_movements/dadaism.htm.
Barber, Dr. Karen. "Hannah Höch, Cut with the Kitchen Knife Dada Through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch in Germany." Smarthistory, https://smarthistory.org/hannah-hoch-cut-kitchen-knife-dada-weimar-beer-belly-germany/.
"Raoul Hausmann." The Art Story, https://www.theartstory.org/artist/hausmann-raoul/.
"De Stijl Movement." The Art Story, https://www.theartstory.org/movement/de-stijl/.
Van Doesburg, Theo et al. "'De Stijl': Manifesto I." https://www2.gwu.edu/~art/Temporary_SL/177/pdfs/DeStijl.pdf
"Piet Mondrian." The Art Story, https://www.theartstory.org/artist/mondrian-piet/.
Chadwick, Dr. Stephanie. Khan Academy, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/later-europe-and-americas/modernity-ap/a/mondrian-composition.
I found the artwork you chose for your early modern blog to be compelling. They all were beautifully tied to your chosen WWI theme. My favorite artwork in your blog was the collage Cut with the Kitchen Knife Dada Through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch in Germany by Hannah Höch. The highly complex and political artwork is challenging to embrace immediately. Fragments of human bodies and heads, parts of machinery, maps, buildings, and snippets of text surround the figure of Kaiser Wilhelm II. The prominent figures of Käthe Kollwitz, actress Asta Nielsen, and dancer Niddy Impekoven are placed close to the word Dada axis. Hannah Höch was the only female artist in the Berlin Dada group, which assumed a sharp political tone as a result of WWI.
ReplyDeleteThe artist changed her name, Anna, to Hannah in an attempt to make it more palindromic.
I really liked how , "The Spirit of our Time" makes me stop to think. Even though it's not conventionally pretty, it's packed with meaning. There are all these different people and symbols mashed together, which makes you wonder what it's all about. Plus, I thought it was cool how she mixed in stuff about women's rights with all the political and social commentary.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I think these artworks are all pretty cool in their own way. They might not be what you'd hang over your sofa, but they definitely make you stop and think.
You chose very interesting pieces of artwork. The spirit of our time is very intriguing. He sure found a way to express his artwork. I see this is the artwork of a German philosopher, who depicts the death from war, with all the machines used in the war, "Why have geist (spirit) in this world that runs mechanically?" It is very interesting how he expresses his artwork. That would have never crossed my mind if I hadn't read more about this work! Great choice!
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