Dawn Adès

Eroticism, science and humor collide in the work of these two close friends

Dalí/Duchamp takes a detailed look at the little-explored relationship between two of the 20th century’s most famous artists. The two might seem like polar opposites at first glance―Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968), the father of conceptual art who rejected painting in 1918, appears to have little in common with the showmanlike Salvador Dalí (1904–89), the exceptional Surrealist painter of fantastical landscapes. show more But the two men were united by a unique combination of humor and skepticism that led both to challenge conventional views of art and life in their own respective ways.

Beyond their shared thematic concerns, the artists knew and respected each other. After meeting in the 1930s through mutual contacts within the Surrealist group, Duchamp and Dalí maintained a firm friendship over the following decades, spending time together in Paris, New York and Catalonia, where Duchamp purchased a summer house in Cadaqués, close to Dalí’s home in Port Lligat.

Throughout this volume, expert contributors explore themes common to both artists, chief among them eroticism and identity, and both men’s engagement with science, optics, religion and myth. Each section of the book is sumptuously illustrated with key pieces from both artists’ bodies of work and features previously unpublished photographs, letters and ephemera that testify to the enduring warmth of their friendship. Dalí/Duchamp offers a fresh understanding of the work of two seminal artists of the 20th century. show less

Fantastic! For anyone who is interested in the Dada movement, this is a must read. Of course it will not cover their pivotal writings nor works in other areas of the arts, but it is still a panoramic of the evolution of the movement. These periodicals were a very important aspect of Dada creation and deserve just as much attention when looking into the group as any of their other works. Far too often Dada is swept aside, considered as nothing more than a precursor to surrealism, but through show more these writings one sees the conflicts arise and just how much Dada has contributed to some of the most influential and appreciated art movements since then (pop art, surrealism, punk, nowave, actionism, etc....the list goes on) Do yourself a favor and read this anthology! show less

This is a short introduction to the Dada and Surrealist art movements, with about 60 pages of text and 60 coloured illustrations of example artworks.

In both movements here art can be seen as a protest/revolutionary or social implement, with elements of the shocking, and non-conventional methods of production in common. Dada on the one hand is nihilistic, focusing on the absurd, the unthinking machine, and the primitive, among other themes. Surrealism on the other hand is less nihilistic show more (though nihilism plays a part in the philosophy of some Surrealists), however it generally focuses more on the portrayal of the idea, the pure item of thought, dreams, and the subconscious.

Dada was able to break away from more conventionally aesthetic types of art using the momentum of anger and frustration of the post-war group that formed the movement, and if anything this eased the ability of Surrealism to develop in this atmosphere away from mainstream movements, albeit along more philosophically disciplined lines than Dada. Some very strange and interesting characters were involved in the history of these movements, and it is anything but boring to read about what they were trying to do.

The history of the Surrealists is very complicated and involves quite a few different types of artists with very different views, and this fact is not hidden in this volume. Painting or the visual arts is not even the surrealists' stated focus, as many of them were more concerned with literature, film, or other forms of representation. For this reason, there is only a very concise view of Surrealism conveyed here, limited mainly to painting, and omitting many of the finer details of their thought. However what this book does well is to give a compressed and well-informed overview of the history of the Dada and Surrealist movements, what they stood for, and their revolutionary ideas. We learn how Dada led into the birth Surrealism, and the breaking away from conventional or Bourgeois society that had previously dominated art. Dada did not do this on its own, as Cubism, Impressionism etc. had already moved away from the precise figurative techniques of the past.

Given a piece of Surrealist and Dada art side-by-side, it would not always be possible to separate them, though some are much more obviously one than the other. This is in part due to their use of ambiguity, but also to the common methods, beliefs, and members of the groups. However what we see is a development of thought from the one to the other, with a shift of the overall trend towards something with more depth in its conception and inspiration, though it is often difficult for the viewer to understand the motives or particular ideas of the artist in either case.

Dada and Surrealism are interesting for their own merits and their peculiarity, but also for their later influence on the development of other movements. As a pocket-sized introduction this benefits from being very well illustrated, concise, and accessible, but for more detail on either of these movements there are more in-depth books available elsewhere. show less

I've been in a Dali kick since I heard his remains are to be exhumed. I've said it before,but, he's an odd one. That being said his artwork is pretty astounding. Enjoyed reading through this and learning about the inspirations for his paintings.