Dada was an anti-war movement in Europe and New York from 1915 to 1923. It was an artistic revolt and protest against traditional beliefs of a pro-war society, and also thought against sexism and racism. The word 'dada' was picked out at random from a dictionary, and is actually the French word for 'hobbyhorse'.
Hannah Hoch created many photo montages, taking photographs from magazines she juxtaposed the modern German woman with the colonial German woman. She challenged cultural representations of women, raising questions regarding women's sexuality as well as their gender role in the new society. Her images create an unsettling view as she addresses the fears, and hopes for the new possibilities of the modern German women.
Hannah Hoch
Cut With the Kitchen Knife Through the First Epoch of the Weimar Beer-Belly Culture
1919
Beautiful Girl 1920
"The Beautiful Girl" clad in a modern bathing suite, with a light bulb for her head, seated on a steel girder, surrounded by various images of industrialization. For example, BMW insignias, tires, gears and cogs and watches. In the right hand corner a black boxer appears stepping through the tire representing automation. In the back ground a silhouette of a woman's head with cats eyes stares at the audience.
Being modern meant speed, consumerism, urbanization and technology, these changes promoted hope for the women. Yet amongst the hope came fear as seen in the watchful cat eyed woman who lurks behind the scenes staring out at the audience. In this juxtapositioning of images Hoch reflects upon a certain optimism for technology and its relationship to the modern woman.
Grotesque 1963
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