DADA AND SURREALISM

Catalog description

(Slashed with ARTH 52064 ) Using a roughly chronological approach, students examine the profound and lasting contributions made by the Dadaists and Surrealists, as well as other revolutionary modernists of the early 20th century who sought to escape the traditional and rational of art and thought with sincerity in spite of the often superficially simple or even sometimes nihilistic appearance of their efforts. Through an analysis of selected works from this period and their relevant precursors, an attempt is made to define the progressive ideas that led to the dismantling of previous standards and rise of an anti-art spirit which continues today in various guises. Primary documents are considered regularly to provide students with a wider appreciation for the variety of media (e.g., film, theater, typography) and issues and characters involved.