Nihilism in Dadaism

"Republican Automatons"

George Grosz, 1920

The Artist and his Automatons...

This piece and artist were part of the  Dadaism movement.  I chose this piece because after doing the reflections and assignment for this week I have found Dadaism quite interesting.  A very creative movement that not only expressed the feeling of the artists, but was brought about to promote change in what they viewed as corrupt and wrong.  The picture is quote boring and lifeless especially in the back. The buildings are not very colorful, they almost look like cardboard box cut outs that you might have made to play with as a child.  Either way not very amusing, in general and especially in comparison to the previous paintings in the lecture, which really had beautiful colors and dramatics.  The only amusing piece to this painting is that of these odd figures.  Both men are dressed in suits, like they may be some sort of political figure, being that dadaism was very political.  Also they don't look very life like, stick figures with broken parts.  One with a wooden leg and one with a mechanical arm. Probably broken from the war.  In my opinion these men look like robots, or more like toys then can be wound up and controlled, which was the way in which many acted during and after the war.  They were machines urged by militarism and the former socialism that many dadaists felt betrayed by.  George Grosz witnessed the war first hand, so he had a true passion for the Dadaism movement.  Grosz also changed his named to show his dislike for German nationalism and growing love for America, where he later moved.  

"Grey Day"

George Grosz, 1921

This painting takes after the first one.  It's colors are dull and lifeless and there is not much going on in the picture.  Again a businessman is the star of his piece and in this picture a wall separates him from a wounded soldier. As if the businessman or politician should not be on the same side as the older, worn out soldier.  Factories in the back signifying life moving forward in an orderly manner, also a man going to work which signifies order as well.  If you really look in the back you can see a political figure possibly? Keeping eye on the "order" and life of the soldier and worker.  

"Eclipse of the Sun"

George Grosz, 1926

This picture very conveys a similar message as the other two, but it does look a lot different.  This painting is a live with color, bright colors.  It also has a lot going on like many Dada pictures have, but the first two did not.  It looks like a collage, pieces of importance to someone put together on one canvas.  The political figures are very apparent in this, and have come to life.  This picture is probably my favorite, it is so obviously portraying the corrupt Germany as George Grosz saw it.  There are two men with heads, probably the leaders, who are controlling the men with no heads, which we have seen before in Grosz's previous painting.  they are in a room that almost looks like a gambling room, as if they were about to play a game of cards.  Also one of the men in power is whispering to the other in his ear, also showing the corruption of the politicians. I am not sure what the animal is, maybe a donkey, signifying that they may all be jack@$$es, maybe not at all, but I wouldn't be surprised.  Lastly the "sun" is not only a sun, but it has a US dollar sign on it representing money profited from the war??

Nihilistic views...

All of three paintings and the painter were painted through nihilistic views, because after the War people became nihilistic.  Germany was moving like robots, and people were trying to do things orderly, what Dadaism brought out was more Dionysian .  People should not be limited and controlled by the corrupt system, just as the politicians are in the paintings. They should express themselves, just as Hugo Balls's Dada Manifesto did, so they can maximize their full potential.