Question

1) What role did World War 1 have on the development of Dada and Surrealism?

2) How does the "unconscious" contribute to Surrealism?

Answer 1

1) In the early 20th century, Dada was an art movement of the European avant-garde, with early centres in Zürich, Switzerland and New York. The Dada movement, formed in response to World War I, consisted of artists who in their works rejected the logic, purpose, and aestheticism of contemporary capitalist society, instead voicing nonsense, irrationality, and anti-bourgeois protest. The art of the movement, including collage, sound poetry, cut-up prose, and sculpture, included visual, literary, and sound media. Dadaist artists shared their frustration with crime, war and nationalism, as well as maintaining political affinities with the radical left.

Answer 2

1. Dada emerged amid the brutality of World War I (1914–18)—a conflict that claimed the lives of eight million military personnel and an estimated equal number of civilians. This unprecedented loss of human life was a result of trench warfare and technological advances in weaponry, communications, and transportation systems.
2. Sigmund Freud is known to be the father of psychoanalysis and through his work, the relationship between psychoanalysis and surrealism can be seen. “Surrealism is a style of art and literature developed principally in the 20th century, stressing the subconscious or non-rational significance of imagery arrived at by automatism or unexpected juxtapositions” (Cherry par. 1). People who engage in surrealism are referred to as surrealists and the main activity that they are engaged in is art work, such as painting and writing of literature.