Exquisite Corpse

We split the paper into four different parts. Each person was free to draw whatever they wanted to in their box. Surrealism is meant to unleash the creativity of the unconscious mind, and by not being able to see what was drawn before us makes our mind unconscious in a way. So I think that this exercise did clearly illustrates the surrealist concept. 

Dada Studio Experimentation

MoMA and Dada

What is Dada and why did it come into existence?

Dada is an art form that is though of as imperfect and different. It came about during WW1 when everything was changing because of the war. Everyone was upset and depressed, so they took their anger out on art, which at the time was though of as something that only had one look. The Dada movement changed that one look.

“Readymades”-What are they?

A readymade could really be anything. As long as it is a product that can be recognized to have one use, but is shown in (any) work being used in the wrong way. Whether its turned upside down, hanging on a wall instead on on the ceiling, is outside instead of inside, or anything else out of the ordinary, could be classified as a readymade. The purpose of their creation was to show that ordinary things can be made dysfunctional, but still classified as "art'.

How do they change your expectations about what art can be?

Personally, i believe that anything can be art, if it means something to the creator, and send s a message to viewers, its art. No questions asked. Even if its a rake hanging on a wall, if it has an explanation and reasoning behind it, it means some things to someone obviously, even if it isn't visually pleasing there is purpose behind it.

 What did they embrace?

The concept of chance and improv. As well as accidentals.`
Why did they take this approach?
These concepts were not highly thought of at the time, so they were being used as actions of revolt.

What is the value of art made by Dadaists?

The belief at the time was that it wasn't the art itself that was important, it was the process to make it that was more important than anything.

How and why did Dada artists work with words?

They jumbled around words and phrases and cut them up, just to piece them back together. They did this, again, as an act of revolt, because the English language at the time was a delicate topic, and not it be "messed with". So the artists, did to get back at the war, so to speak.

Questions About Art

1.     What is a work of art?  Describe qualities found in artworks.

      A work of art, to me, is something that someone has put effort, time, and thought into in order to convey a given theme. The piece usually comes out better if there is some sort of connection between the artist and the piece. The deeper the connection, the better the piece. But there are no guidelines for art, it can be as simple as a poem, or as different as an abstracted piece, it's all up to the artist, their ideas, connections, and their viewpoints. Common qualities of art are color, use of words, scale, shapes, material, texture, and space.  

2.     What should an artwork provide to both the maker and the viewer?

       It should mean something to the maker because it needs a purpose in the creators mind, that is more important than a purpose in the viewers mind. However, the purpose to the maker, is usually to provoke emotion or feeling in viewers. The way I see it, if the artist conveys a message or issue through their artwork clear and concisely, they have done their job, the viewer attention is just an extra bonus for them.

3.     Why do people make art?

      I believe that artists create pieces of art to fill a void in their lives. Most artists have a story behind each piece and there is usually a common theme between their pieces, hence between their stories, which basically etches out their life. Whether the void is boredom, depression, loneliness, or some other issue, they create pieces of art to fill it, resulting in the artists to create masterpieces.

4.     Where does one encounter art?

       It's cliché, but art can be found anywhere in the world. It is all around us. It really is, art is creation, and creation is everywhere. Simple as that.

5.     What is the role of the artist?

       The artist is the entertainer, the creator, and the interpreter. First they create their work, then they interpret what was going on in their head, to the viewers, to make it easier for them to understand.