Final answer:
The Dadaists believed that art should challenge traditional norms and values, reflecting the absurdity and irrationality of contemporary society. Their work was a political statement against war and bourgeois culture, using everyday materials to create anti-art.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Dadaists challenged traditional notions of art during a time of upheaval in the early 20th century. They saw conventional art as intertwined with the reason and logic of a bourgeois society which they believed had contributed to the catastrophe of World War I. In their quest to reject these standards, they created anti-art that was designed to shock, provoke, and defy the concepts of aesthetic beauty upheld by institutions like the Royal Academy. Dadaism was not only a radical art movement but also a political statement, expressing anti-war, anti-bourgeois sentiments, and it embraced chaos and irrationality over the traditional values of reason and order.
Dadaists utilized a variety of materials in their artwork, often drawn from everyday life, such as newspapers, photographs, and found objects. These materials were repurposed in novel ways, such as in collages and assemblages, to satirize the violence and corruption of society. Their work deliberately eschewed the established norms of fine art, prioritizing concept and expression over conventional craftsmanship or beauty. This aversion to traditionalism and embrace of the absurd was reflective of their belief that the modern era deserved a modern art that was reflective of the contemporary environment.