Dadaism = nonsense, irrationality, anti-bourgeois
I wanted my collage to focus on the criticism of contemporary culture. Höch’s art was rich with references to what was at the time modern German culture, though now when we look back on them, especially her piece that most heavily inspired my own; “Cut with the Kitchen Knife Through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch in Germany”, it is a historical snapshot of a specific time and place.
I also wanted to play on the element of going against what is expected and creating something purposely absurd, so instead of making a magazine or newspaper collage, I made it all on my phone with digital images. This is also a nod to my own place in history where phones and other technology have overtaken so much of nearly every aspect of life, including creative spaces.
Another thing that Höch and the Berlin dadaists emphasized in their work is political and social critique while still being odd and absurd. I reflected on some of the biggest socio-political debates and conflicts going on currently and used them in my collage, while also embracing the strange and ironic aspects of our generation’s sense of humor. These ideas combined become a nihilistic and very real representation of modern culture.
I think there happen to be a lot of similarities between the generational attitude toward the world now and in Höch’s era. there is both a sense of impending doom, as well as a sense of being almost carefree about it, due to our helplessness or our acceptance of reality.
