Dada and Surrealism

Dada and Surrealism were two revolutionary art movements, which emerged in response to the events and ideas of the early twentieth century. Dada characterized by found objects and works made according to the laws of chance, was anarchic and anti art. In part a reaction to the senseless destruction of the war, it questioned all accepted values. Surrealism in contrast, was more a defined movement, which evolved in 1920's as artist and writers took Sigmund Freud's concept of the unconscious to undermine traditional conventions. By use of such techniques such as automatism, artist sought to represent in concrete terms the imagery of dream and fantasy. The difference between the dada and surrealist movements can be seen through the artwork of such artist as Marcel duchamp, Salvador dali, Jean Arp and Joan Miro.Dada has often been called nihilistic, for its declared purpose was indeed to make clear to the public that all established values, moral or aesthetic, had been made meaningless by the catastrophe of the war. One of the central figures of the Dada movement was Marcel Duchamp who pushed anti art to it's furthest limits. Duchamp mocked traditional established art by taking everyday objects and presented them as art object.

Through comparing the works of daidist and surrealist we see how the two movement differ in there beliefs and attitudes towards art however both movements strived for the same sense of freedom and purity. Dali made two important contributions, one conceptual and one technical. Other ready-mades which conveyed duchamp attitudes towards society is "Bicycle Wheel". allow him to reveal the double significance of things. In contrast to surrealist who explored the conscious mind they tried to transform society's values by emphasizing and encouraging the liberation of unconscious thoughts and desires artist such as Salvador dali explored the dreams, fears, hopes and frustrations of modern man. What duchamp intended to say that art meant nothing any more, that chance had as much meaning and more sense than the art of a rotten society.