Tristan Tzara published seven
manifestos trying to define “Dada”; an idea, which he claimed, was indefinable.
I think his quest to explain something he thought was impossible to explain
explains the very essence of what Dadaism really is. Hans Richter took this
analysis a step further by looking at the works of many Dadaists and picking
them apart and illustrating what Dadaism meant. Many of the pieces he chose
resonated strongly with Tzara’s manifestos but there was one poem in particular
“Anna Blume” by Kurt Schwitters, which to me really reflected what Tzara was
trying to convey in his manifestos. Tzara says in his manifesto
“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 any continuous
contradiction, for affirmation too, I am neither for not against and I do not
explain because I hate common sense”
“Dada; abolition of
logic, which is the dance of those impotent to create: Dada; of every social
hierarchy and equation set up for the sake of values by our valets: Dada; every
object, all objects, sentiments, obscurities, apparitions and the precise clash
of parallel lines are weapons for the fight: Dada;”
After reading this particular excerpt
from Tzara you get the general impression that Dadaists did not like to make
sense in general. From what Tzara is trying to convey it seems as if Dadaists
will go out of their way to make sure that none of their work is “common
sense”. One particular poem that Richter examines in his analysis “Anna Blume”
reflects Tzara’s sentiments exactly. A
few lines from the poem go like this
You
wear your hat upon your feet and walk round
on your hands, upon
your hands you walk.
Halloo, your red
dress, sawn up in white pleats.
Red I love Anna
Blume, red I love your! —You
Ye you your, I your,
you my. —We?
You can see here the contrary actions Tzara speaks of as
this poet has a general theme of love for Anna Blume but the words of the poem
go on to reject logic and common sense. Though when you read this poem you are
able to get the gist that it is meant to be a love poem but when you dig deeper
you notice that this poet has defied the rules of language by ignoring rules of
possessive pronouns. “I your, you my” this poet has gone out of his way to
purposefully reject logic. This is also seen in the first lines of the excerpt
because of course no one will wear a hat on their feet or walk upon their hands
in the normal sensical world but that is what makes this poem part of Dada. This
poet illustrates the contrary actions of making sense in general by painting a
big picture of love while at the same time rejecting rules of language because
“Dada is the abolition of logic”
Dada and surrealism are closely linked together. The Dada movement that came about in the early 1900’s was concerned with the rejection of rationality and idealism. And as you mention, Tzara refers to Dada as the “abolition of logic.”
ReplyDeleteLike Dada, surrealism also rejects logic and focuses more on the thoughts that sprout from the unconscious and from illusion.
We are able to see examples of these surrealistic ideas in Andre Breton’s novel, Nadja; this is an autobiographical novel, which centers around Breton’s brief ten-day relationship with a mentally disturbed woman, Nadja, whom he encounters on the streets of Paris. Breton focuses dearly on the characteristics of Nadja and since he is the only source of the descriptions we get of her, we are sometimes led to believe that Breton portrays Nadja in the way that he wants to see her. Thus, we see that Nadja is a young woman with eccentric behavior, spontaneous demands, and has no distinction between reality and illusion. At one point in the novel, Breton asks Nadja who she is and she replies, “I am the soul in limbo,” (79). I believe that this statement reflects her state of being engulfed in illusion rather than reality. While living in the real world, she floats in the midst of illusion, acting solely on her thoughts. This surrealist view and existence of life is what sets her apart from all other women and what draws Breton so close to Nadja. While reading this novel, I also felt that there were many instances where Breton is concerned with Nadja’s presence of mind rather then physical presence. We often find him interested in what Nadja is thinking, wondering, or even imagining, Breton appreciates her ability to be boundless. He consistently observes her, and waits “until she is ready to continue of her own free will,” (85). As the novel progresses, and we see the developments in her character, Nadja transforms into the epitome of surrealism. Breton more clearly expresses this when he writes, “Who are we, confronting reality, that reality which I know now, was lying at Nadja’s feel like a lap dog?” (109 and 111). Breton suggests that unlike the rest of us, Nadja is able to take control reality and act in opposition of intellectual conventions.
The final aspect that struck out to me in Breton’s novel was Nadja’s drawing. Free association is an important aspect associated with surrealism because it is one of the most fundamental ways of liberating the imagination. In Nadja’s drawings, like the one of the star and rectangular mask, we see that the images on the page represent the free associations of her thoughts.
You mention in your blog post that trying to explain that which is impossible to explain is the essence of Dada. I believe that this Dadist idea resonates with Breton’s novel, Nadja in that Breton constantly finds himself trying to figure out Nadja, yet he is never able to do so with complete accuracy. Trying to fully understand Nadja is as impossible as it is to fully understand Dada.
Hi, I liked how you stated that Tzara and Richter seem to go out of their way to make sure that dada is defined by nonsense. Instead of nonsense being a free-flowing creation it becomes something that had to be carefully put together. This then stresses the contradictory nature of Dadaism and surrealism. While both stress the importance of free will of the individual, surrealism and Dadaism are built upon the core tenet of juxtapositions and paradoxes. In Andre Breton’s Nadja, Breton uses the main character Nadja as a representation of surrealism. While Nadja is the embodiment of free will she also becomes limited as she enters into a relationship with Breton. Breton uses imagery such as, “lap-dog” and “god” to demonstrate that he becomes a controlling figure, eliminating her free will in the relationship yet becoming a passive figure as well. Both images incite contradictions that demonstrate the main tenets of Dadaism and surrealism. Yet, both seem to also pose the ultimate question of whether free will can truly exist within a society. As Tzara sates, “Dada is the abolition of logic”. This is contradictory because Dada is the definition of nonsense, it cannot abolish logic because abolishing logic would have to be logical. The usage of paradoxes and contradictions add to the language of nonsense and demonstrate the true meanings behind surrealism and Dadaism.
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