Absurdity and the Subconscious: The Rise of Dada and Surrealism

About this course:

Dada and Surrealism emerged as significant art movements in the early 20th century, primarily as a reaction to the devastation and absurdity of World War I. In this course, we explore their origins, and the artists affiliated with both movements. We begin with the anti-art movement of Dada, which arose as a reaction to tradition, convention, and rationality. These artists embraced chance and randomness as a form of art making, influencing generations of artists working with increasingly varied materials and techniques. We then discuss how Surrealism used some of these techniques to capture the inner workings of the mind through dreamlike imagery. This course uses the Hybrid format which allows students to participate remotely and/or in the classroom. This course will be recorded. Students will have access to the video for 30 days.