Ernst, Max (1891-1976)
Dadaville
c.1924
Painted plaster and cork on canvas, 68 × 56 x 6.3 cm
Tate Britain, London
After the destruction of the First World War, a group of European artists came together to create a new way of expressing themselves. This art, which they called Dada, was radically anti-elitist and aimed to challenge the traditional artistic techniques that many felt had led to such a difficult political landscape. Here, Max Ernst, a supporter of the movement, uses the material cork to create the outlines of a modern city skyline. In both its material – cork – and its architectural forms – skyscrapers – the city of Dadaville is made up of only revolutionary methods. (Tate)