The Extent to Which World War I Influenced the Dada Artistic Movement

The Extent to which World War 1 Influenced the Dada artistic Movement

A. Scope of Investigation

The investigation will evaluate to what extent did World War 1 influence the artists of the Dada movement? The investigation will look at primary sources by artists themselves, as well as secondary sources that may evaluate the artists and comment on any influences to the creation of Dadaism and the motives of artists. To be able to determine the extent to which World War 1 influenced the artists of the Dada movement, multiple influences will be looked at and examined to gage the appropriate influence. Given the Dada movement primarily occurred in America and parts of Europe, no sources outside of these areas will be used. Personal accounts and recollections will be looked at for first hand opinions of the artists themselves, but historians views on the era and influences will also be used.

B. Summary of Evidence

When studied with World War 1, “Dada was not an artistic movement in the accepted sense; it was a storm that broke over the world of art as the war did over the nations (Tucker).”

In Zurich, the term and movement known as Dadaism emerged in early 1916 (Huelsenbeck). Also being around the time World War 1 began, the movement initially began as performances in the Cabaret Voltaire (Caldwell). In these literary performances, artists such as Tzara would create such nonsensical phrases that no meaning could be derived from them, Tzara being a prominent poet of the time. The nonsensical phrases symbolized the nonsense Western culture has brought itself to through the war (Caldwell). These centers for exchanging ideas can be known as, “neutral capitols,” where artists would gather and show their contempt towards the governments o...

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