HANNAH HOCH
TITLE: Cut With the Kitchen Knife
ORIGINAL LOCATION: Weimar, Germany BIG IDEA: Cultural judgment MAJOR THEME: Critical social commentary MEDIUM: Photomontage VISUAL COMPONENTS: Balance, texture, repetition, shape CATEGORY: Non-art DESCRIPTION/INTERPRETATION: The majority of the image is filled with collage elements that seem to be taken from newspapers or magazines. The images are primarily black and white. There are images of parts of machines and small pieces of text that read ‘Dada’ and ‘anti’. The different elements are overlapped and intersect. By using visual pieces of media from her contemporary culture, Hoch is commenting on life in Wiemar, Germany after WWI. Here photomontage is used as a medium for investigating contemporary culture. The chaos of the image reflects the climate of unease in the country at that time. The industrial symbols overlap with the images of people leading the viewer to consider the overlap of industry with common life and societal evolution. Ideas of utopia vs. dystopia are presented in addition to other dichotomies. |
USE IN TEACHING: Cut With the Kitchen Knife is a true social commentary. However, part of DADA is utilizing seemingly nonsensical elements juxtaposed to create this dialogue. In the classroom, students could examine parts of society that they find problematic. Using popular contemporary images students would create a collage that utilizes repetition and words.
Classroom dialogue could include: How does the use of popular images in an artwork make social commentary?
How does the use of text add to the concept the artist is presenting with imagery? How does repetition of images and similar images create something that seems nonsensical, but has a lot of meaning?
SOURCE: https://utopiadystopiawwi.wordpress.com/dada/hannah-hoch/cut-with-the-kitchen-knife/
Classroom dialogue could include: How does the use of popular images in an artwork make social commentary?
How does the use of text add to the concept the artist is presenting with imagery? How does repetition of images and similar images create something that seems nonsensical, but has a lot of meaning?
SOURCE: https://utopiadystopiawwi.wordpress.com/dada/hannah-hoch/cut-with-the-kitchen-knife/