Investigation: Dadaism in Film

October 10, 2020

Investigation: Dadaism in Film

Introduction:

"Sensibility is not constructed on the basis of a word; all constructions converge on perfection which is

boring, the stagnant idea of a gilded swamp, a relative human product. A work of art should

not be beauty in itself, for beauty is dead; it should be neither gay nor sad, neither light nor

dark to rejoice or torture the individual by serving him the cakes of sacred aureoles or the

sweets of a vaulted race through the atmospheres. A work of art is never beautiful by decree,

objectively and for all" (TRISTAN TZARA “Dada Manifesto 1918”).

Dead is meaning. gone associations The and grammar is. has no bounds Logic. prevails randomness. philosophy Thus is the Dadaism. Post-structure. Post-logic. Post-posts.

"But this need itself is obsolete. In documenting art on the basis of the supreme simplicity: novelty, we are human and true for the sake of amusement, impulsive, vibrant to crucify boredom. At the crossroads of the lights, alert, attentively awaiting the years, in the forest. I write a manifesto and I want nothing, yet 1 say certain things, and in principle I am against manifestoes, as I am also against principles (half-pints to measure the moral value of every phrase too too convenient; approximation was invented by the impressionists). I write this manifesto to show that people can perform contrary actions together while taking one fresh gulp of air; I am against action; for continuous contradiction, for affirmation too, I am neither for nor against and I do not explain because I hate common sense" (Tristan Tzara).

Part 1: What is Dada?

Dadaism was a response to the failures of logic and ordered art. Logic had brought society into wage slavery capitalism. Logic had brought Europe into a long and brutal world war. Logic allowed for the continued subjugation of thousands of people around the world. In the failure of logic Dadaism responded through the creation of art out of absolute randomness. Instead of justifying the art through some textual or symbolic realm it was created through the force of pure creation.

The word Dada perfectly encapsulates the artistic mission of Dadaism, instead of choosing the movement's name through careful selection it was chosen by flipping through the dictionary randomly. Dadism is finding beauty in the random. Instead of sketching out what you are going to paint and then replicating that on a canvas, the dadaist lets his hand mark as it likes, imprinting and changing through pure coincidence. Equally, the common manufactured thing can be viewed as art. The only thing keeping us from viewing a urinal as art is context.

"Dada; elegant and unprejudiced leap from a harmony to the other sphere; trajectory of a word tossed like a screeching phonograph record; to respect all individuals in their folly of the moment: whether it be serious, fearful, timid, ardent, vigorous, determined, enthusiastic; to divest one's church of every useless cumbersome accessory; to spit out disagreeable or amorous ideas like a luminous waterfall, or coddle them—with the extreme satisfaction that it doesn't matter in the least—with the same intensity in the thicket of core's soul pure of insects for blood well-born, and gilded with bodies of archangels. Freedom: Dada Dada Dada, a roaring of tense colors, and interlacing of opposites and of all contradictions, grotesques, inconsistencies" (Tristan Tzara).

Part 2: Dadaism in film

Dadaism rose to prominence in the years after WWI when film was still in its infancy as an art form. Nonetheless, there were still some dadaist films made. These films all share in the idea that film should be explored not as a representative narrative medium but an extension of visual arts adding the extra component of time. It can be argued that these early dadaist films have had the greatest influence on what we call "art film" today.

While these dadaist films are highly influential on modern art film, in my opinion the greatest contribution to modern film from the Dadaist movement came through in its plays. These plays would often take the form of people standing on a stage and doing seemingly random things or child-like performances. This theatrical tradition was taken by Andy Kuafman in the late 70s, who then changed comedy forever. His act often involved lip-syncing, audience participation, and the use of songs meant for children. Now, all of these things are mainstream as a regular part of talk shows.

Furthermore, the dadaist theatrical tradition can be seen throughout adult swim particularly through Tim and Eric, Vernon Chatman, and Eric Andre. (All of these artists deserve separate investigations).

Part 3: Incorporating these ideas into my work

My current project is firmly within this dadaist expression, as I am essentially ripping off those early dadaist films with better technology and effects. In future projects Dadism's inspiration will be in outsider comedy stylings, taking from the unwatchable plays of early dadism. I have already played with these ideas to a degree in my music, however I want to put these ideas onto film. All my previous art films are far more interested in the serial, however I want to incorporate the ideas of dada more.