Approaching Project 2: Forrest Gump, we will have to select 4 movies quotes to create a visual narrative that expresses watch of the quote only using symbols, pictograms, dingbats, icons and engravings. With the help of Photoshop, the final project should be in black and white half-toned. At the end of it, we will even get a silkscreen print on our tote bag!
Before all that fun happens, there needs to be some work done…
Here are some of my research done!
Art Movement: Dadaism
Dadaism was an artistic and literary art movement of the European avant-garde in the early 20th century that flourished in Paris but first began in Zurich, Switzerland. It was influenced by other art movements like Cubism, Futurism, Constructivism and Expressionism. Developed in reaction to World War I, it is to reject logic, reason and aestheticism of modern capitalist society.
Dadaism is the first conceptual art movement where the focus of the artworks is not on its aesthetics, but how it was created to challenge, to generate difficult questions about the society, and the purpose of the work and what it implies and bring across to the mass. The main intent of the members of Dadaism is to boldly reject all norms of the bourgeois culture.
Some famous artists to note are Marcel Duchamp, Salvador Dali, André Breton, etc.
Some famous works include:
titled: Fountain, Marcel Duchamp | taken from: https://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/art_movements/dadaism.htm
titled: L.H.O.O.Q., Marcel Duchamp | taken from: https://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/art_movements/dadaism.htm
Art Movement: Surrealism
Born mostly out of Dadaism, Surrealism is an art and cultural movement that began in the early 1920s started by Andre Breton (who was a major member of the Dada community), and is best known for its visual artworks and writings. Many surrealist artists painted illogically with photographic precision. Surrealist are imaginative and drive away from rationalism and literary realism in hopes of revealing the contradictions in the everyday world and spur on revolution.
Some famous artists to note are Pablo Picasso, Rene Margitta,
Some famous works include;
titled: The Persistence of Memory, Salvador Dali | taken from: https://art9b.wikispaces.com/surrealism+%28+The+Persistence+of+Memory+Salvador+Dali%29
Contrast between Surrealism and Dadism
Their emergence – Dadaism emerged during the period of World War I , while Surrealism emerged during a period of peace and prosperity.
Where they flourished – Dada artists where scattered across Europe while Surrealist artist were self-contained in Paris.
View on life – To Dada artists, life has no meaning, no reason, no purpose, and no logic. For Surrealist artists, life has meaning; one has to find its logic by unlocking visual and verbal codes secreted in the chambers of the unconscious mind where one finds Freud’s “uncanny.” Hence, Dada artists were more pessimistic while Surrealist artists tend to be more onward looking.
Dada photomontage may have used the technique of putting one randomly found image next to another, but the intent was to undermine meaning. Surrealism seeks new meaning, another meaning, an unexpected meaning, a sur-real meaning, but always, Surrealism wants live to mean something.
Style of expression – Both Dadaism and Surrealism sought to create works “automatically” without the conscious control of oneself.
Art Movement – Russian Constructivism
Russian Constructivism is the last and most influential modern art movement originated from Russian in the 20th century. It is inspired by Cubism, Suprematism and Futurism, which sought to abolish the traditional artistic concern with composition, and replace it with ‘construction. In its essence, this art movement sought to move working place from the studios to the factories. Russian Constructivism also work with the characteristics of many materials such as glass, wood, in construction to experiment and deploy different materials to demonstrate a certain idea. (usually that of the experiences in modern life).
Some famous artists to note are Alexander Rodchenko, El Lissitzky, Lyubov Popova, etc.
Some famous works include;
titled: Books, Alexander Rodchenko | taken from:http://analogue76.com/blog/entry/the_russian_constructivists
Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge, El Lissitzky | taken from: http://analogue76.com/blog/entry/the_russian_constructivists
Artist Research
André Breton
Andre Breton was a major member in the Dada society and a founder of Surrealism. He was into unconventional ways of creating art and had united a group of disparate artists to join him.
He wrote the Surrealist Manifesto to declare that Surrealism is all about “pure psychic automatism” that later deeply affected future art movements like Abstract Expressionism.
One of Breton’s greatest belief is that art is an anti-war protest, of which he postulated in World War I, which regain potency during and after World War II. While he was doing so, the other expressionist artists were creating art in response to the rage regarding the war itself.
References:
Art History Unstuffed – Contrast Between Dadaism and Surrealism