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Neo-Dada is one the the of significant American art movements in the post-modernism era. This type of art consisted of audio, literary, and visual manifestations that had parallelism to methods in the earlier Dada era. The earlier Dada period showed how society was meaningless in their artwork, while Neo-Dada's artwork tried to find meaning within the meaningless. This type of art was still meant to break the barriers and show rebellion against normal artwork but through their iconoclastic forms of art. Popular mass media, found objects and consumer culture are all examples of the influence that was found within the artwork. Neo-Dada artists believed in the personal meanings to their work, and how it felt to each individual. Popular artists that can be found from this era are Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, and John Cage. Each created a significant impact within this era. The Neo-Dada era led the pathway to new eras such as pop art, minimalism, and conceptualism.

The video shared in this post describes more about Neo-Dada, and its impact on the art realm, as well as a deeper dive into these important artists.

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A Breakthrough From Abstract Expressionism and Dada

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A Breakthrough From Abstract Expressionism and Dada

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Neo-Dada emerged in the 1950s and 1960s as a response to earlier Dada movements in the early 20th century. This emerged because of a reaction against abstract expressionism. Abstract expressionism, characterized by brushstrokes and spontaneous emotional expressions, had been the dominant form of expression after World War II. Dada can be characterized by negative emotions, and how to break from meaningless societies. Neo-Dada represented a transformative departure from these thoughts and tactics through art, challenging newly established conventions. While Neo-Dada heightened the thought of self-individualization, it strayed away from spontaneous gestures and emotional intensities. Instead, it focused on the communications and expressions individuals have themselves. Nei-Dada is also a more intellectual and thought-provoking movement, through examples of adding materials and aspects to challenge viewers to engage with the art on a conceptual level. Neo means "new" and this era brought new ways of thinking when participating in art, music, and sculptures.

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John Cage, an American composer in the 20th century, was known for shaking things up in music. Known for his unconventional, challenging artistic norms, Cage was a prominent figure in the Neo-Dada era. He often integrated unscripted elements into his compositions, such as poetry, dance, other forms of music, and multimedia components. A great example of his work can be seen through his Theater Piece No. 1, also known as The Event. This beautiful performance included all the elements mentioned before, as well as paintings created by Robert Rauschenberg. This showed self-individualization, and his expressions of choice when choosing what elements to include in his compositions.

https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/neo-dada-artworks

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Robert Rauschenberg was born in Texas but started in art journey in Paris France at the Academie Julian. He never felt that his life suited him, such result as changing his name from Milton to Robert. He was always going against the grain, which is shown through his artwork and paintings. One day at college, he was told that red is the most difficult color to create with, leaving him with a determination to use it. With his own individual dream, he created a series of red paintings that fall into what we call the Neo-Dada era today. Not only are there significant individual experiences when looking at these prints, but also individuality formed these pieces as well. Each red print was created with grounds of newspapers, and patterned fabrics that are attached to the paintings. He embodies going against the grain, but also trying to show meaning throughout his paintings, exemplifying what the Neo-Dada era was about. He expanded on what true fine art could be and has left us with beautiful paintings we can look at today, which we can reference back to as combines. He created this type of art, which encapsulates everyday items into a balance between a painting and a sculpture.

https://www.rauschenbergfoundation.org/art/galleries/series/red-painting-1953-54

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Jasper John is another great Neo-Dada artist, and played in influential role with innovative ideas; particularly his iconic paintings of the American flag. Born in the 1930's, and serving in the U.S. Navy, Johns became an important figure in the art world in the 1950s-1960s. His expressions of the American Flag are considered essential works in the Neo-Dada era, because of his use of materials and self-expression. After the war, Johns departed from the emotional intensity and meaninglessness brought by other art eras, revealing his use of everyday symbols in his life, by choosing the American flag. A widely recognized symbol in America, this flag became a central theme in his works. What is interesting is the fact that many would believe his choice of the American flag would be merely for patriotism, but it was used for much more than that. Johns' decision to use the American flag gave him room to work on other levels, by using a common object. He was able to test textured surfaces, blurred lines, and the incorporation of found objects. He explains that the flag “is no more about a flag than it is about a brushstroke or about a color or about the physicality of the paint”. This common object struck a cord for him to try new things, and this resonated with the Neo-Dada era. While the flag can bring meaning to some people through patriotism, Jasper Johns was able to show his individualization through experimental with a "common object".

https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/jasper-johns-10-works-to-know#:~:text=1.,in%20his%20practice%20ever%20since.

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Urs Fischer's "Raindrops" sculpture seamlessly ties into the Neo-Dada era by embodying the spirit of individuality, playfulness, and mental exploration. Much like other artists who tried to break free from artistic norms, both before and after the Dada movements, his work challenges said conventions of sculptures. The dynamic nature of the raindops moving but still at the same time, creates an engaging and playful tone, with a side of unpredictability. Sculptures like these raindrops in this era often embraced found objects, unconventional materials, and interesting methods. Not only does his sculpture align perfectly with this trend, but also transforms an everyday natural element into a tangible, exciting experience.

https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/neo-dada-artworks

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Robert Rauschenberg, Retroactive I, 1963

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Rauschenberg's "Retroactive I" serves as an essential visual example of the mass media and objects used during the Neo-Dada era. With the historical shifts in the 1960's, Kennedy represented a symbol of youthful spirit, and tragedy from his assassination. This event not only creaated societal unrest, but the pessimism of the era. Rauschenburg, captures the zeitgeist of this time, as well as using objects for paintings. This painting exemplifies how artists like Rauschenberg would use political, social, and culutral events within paintings to create a emotional appeal to the viewer, and bring normal day events to a new thought.

https://smarthistory.org/seeing-america-2/homage-to-jfk-rauschenbergs-retroactive-i/

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Jim Dine's "BedSpring" serves as a perfect example of the Neo-Dada spirit in the 1960s.This piece, completely made out of normal projects, is believed to be inspired by some of his earlier installations ("The House" and "Ray Gun"). In this object, he uses painted clothes, metal bedsprings, domestic objects, which represents a happy home, but with a twist of a chaotic environment. This sculpture invites viewers to not only use their individualization and curiosity to understand the meaning behind it, but also figure out the representation it has to the Neo-Dada realm.

https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/1061