Modern art: history, movements, and cultural impact

Dada or Dadism is a form of art that was considered very controversial when it was created due to the political and cultural statements that it made. Dadism was a protest of the violence of human nature specifically war and its atrocities. Personally I feel that Dadism is a form of art that should be cherished, preserved and appreciated because it has a lot to offer not only in a historical and political sense but also culturally and artistically. I enjoy the liberty and style of Dadism although many times it is not aesthetically pleasing; it is interesting, provoking and enjoyable. I especially enjoy the fact that works of Dadism leave their interpretation open to the viewer due to their abstract composition. Essentially Dadism was a movement that protested contemporary politics and modern art. It was designed to be a social commentary on what Dada artist felt was wrong with the world; it has been described as anti-art because it went against contemporary art movements of the time period, it was a satire through art. Proponents of Dada sought to offend viewers instead of aesthetically pleasing them, they sought instill no meanings or messages in their works, thus leaving interpretation totally open to the viewer. Some of the most recognized artists in the Dadism move include Marcel Duchamp, Hans Arp, Francis Picabia, Max Ernst, Hugo Ball, Man Ray, and Marcel Janco. The works differ in the sense that they do not share many aesthetic qualities or themes. Their works are similar due to their abstract nature other than that, they do not have much in common. In its initial exhibits, works of Dada Art were not well received they were scorned and despised. The art community felt uncomfortable and insulted with the presences of these works because they did not understand them. This is exactly what the artists of Dadism intended through the presentation of their works; they wanted to make a statement against the contemporary art community and its values. The legacy of this movement during the 21st has now transcended into a more favorable light, critics now appreciate this movement and what it stood for, some of the works from this movement like Duchamp's Fountain, have been recognized by the art world as some of the most important pieces of the 21st century and of modern art. The concept of art is very difficult to define, I do not believe that you can take any object and call it art and therefore be an artist. Artwork was to have some kind of meaning or aesthetic quality one or the other, it must have some sort of associations or connotations that can be derived from the appreciation and study of the work.

Surrealism is a form of art that appears closely related to abstract art. Surrealism is very interesting due to the images that are presented in the works. They also share some qualities similar to conventional art, many times surrealist works are aesthetically pleasing and their composition is attractive, other times they appear disorganized and abstract. For me the appealing factor of Surrealist art lies within the unconventional combination of elements that sometimes make sense and sometimes do not. That however is not very important, what is important in these is analyzing and appreciating them taking into consideration the foundations for their inception into the art world in the early 21st century. In order to appreciate them fully we must understand that this works were created and fueled with the inspiration of dreams and the sub-conscious. Imagery in these works is enticing, interesting and sometimes challenging to interpret because by its very nature the images depicted are illogical and lack conventional explanation. At the same time what makes this art genre special is the liberty and free ranging spirit that these works convey; they are associated with the psychological and are often images that depict dream like states. The combination of these creates a world without limits and one of endless possibilities open to different interpretations. It appears that art collectors, historians and college students are attracted to surrealism due to its fantastical nature. It is appealing because it has no boundaries the images depicted are impressive very active and not at all passive. It challenges the viewer's mind to try to find a meaning. Surrealist works can encompass within them a variety of elements they can have irony, tragedy, humor, aesthetics and satire all within one work. Also the elements of abstract mystery that are depicted have a universal appeal. Dada artists embraced Surrealism because it was not conventional cookie cutter art; it challenged the art community t open up its mind. Proponents of Dadaism appreciated surrealism because it did not conform to meet the expectations of critics, Surrealism appealed to them because it was rebellious and raw in nature. The two main streams of Surrealism were represented by The Automatists and The Veristic Surrealists. The two streams differed in that The Automatists were more concerned with feeling and freedom being expressed through this genre of art; they did not want to derive any meaning from the images they felt it would burden the images. The Veristic Surrealist on the other hand were highly concerned with bringing images from the sub-conscious so that they could be analyzed and in turn derive some kind of meaning from them. Circumstances and diversities within this art philosophy were all able to conform to the surrealist movement because this philosophy is rooted in shared human elements like the dreams, the subconscious, psychology etc.