Dada

Dadaists wanted to move on and away from traditional art aesthetics. Their names was chosen simply by random, by opening a German dictionary and selecting a random word. One could refer to them as an anti-art movement. Their graphic work consisted of placing photos and words by chance, and the use of absurd titles. Dadaists aimed at making fun of what they called a society gone crazy. Artists in this movement such as Marcel Duchamp, painted a moustache on a replica of the Mona Lisa as an assault to tradition. This was not a Vandalistic act however that is what most of society took it as.

Dadaist said to have created photomontage, the cutting and joining of more than once picture/photo. This technique alone had a tremendous influence on graphic design. An example of such work is this peace by Hannah Höch.

Collage and Photomontage by Hannah Höch; Da-dandy; 1919

When it came to typography, Dadaists separated text from graphic work. The visual stood independent and did not need text dependant on it. Dadaists wanted people to analyse the shape of the text in its layout. Dadaist typography followed no linear rules or textual content. They did not make words bold and stick out because of importance but purely for its characteristics. Chaos was often seen on Dada works - non linear writing different fonts, different typefaces of different weights; everything going in different directions - no order.

This work perfectly implements what I explained above. There is lack of harmony and order. There is commotion over and the whole area leaving no blank space. The lack of black space insinuates lack of quiet and peace; its almost as thought they are shouting at us. Sometimes Dadaist works were taken to the extreme and were sometimes on the verge of being illegible.

A History of Graphic Design: Chapter 45; Dadaism; The meeting point of all contradictions. 2013. A History of Graphic Design: Chapter 45; Dadaism; The meeting point of all contradictions. [ONLINE] Available at: http://guity-novin.blogspot.com/2011/08/chapter-44-dadaism-meeting-point-of-all.html. [Accessed 25 November 2013].

ArtLex on Dada. 2013. ArtLex on Dada. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/d/dada.html. [Accessed 23 November 2013].