Merz reflection of Post-World War I Society
Born in Hanover, Germany in 1887 was the artist Kurt Schwitters. Swhwitters’ is known for his unique contribution to twentieth-century art and literature. In 1908 he began his study of art and of writing poetry. Between 1908 and 1914 he attended various art schools including Kunstschule in Hannover, Germany, and the Berliner Akademie de Kunste.1 He was labeled untalented in traditional academic art because of his influence from Dadaism, Cubism, German Expressionism, and similar avant-garde movements of the early twentieth century that was reflected onto his work. Starting post World War I, Schwitters' offered his personal vision of middle-class culture of the time in the form of collage, sculpture, experimental poetry and prose and architecture, which he refers to as Merz. The formation of his Merz movement reflects his view of society post World War I.
By the 1920s, he coined the term Merz for his artwork. The term Merz derived from the word Commerzbank, meaning commerce, which he had cut out of an advertisement for a bank.2 Merz works explored the boundaries of what is considered traditional genres of art as well as expanded the ways of making art. Schwitters’ had this to say about his movement;
“At the end of 1918, I realized that all values only exist in relationship to each other and that restriction to a single material is one-sided and small-minded. From this insight I formed Merz, abouve all the sum of individual art forms, Merz-painting, Merz-poetry.”3
Merz soon became synonymous with Schwitters’ himself.
During the First World War, in March of 1917 he was drafted into the German army. But because of his epilepsy, he was declared as unfit for service. Later that same year he was recruited as a military draftsman in the Wufel ironworks in Hanover.4 His wartime service in industrial work also influenced his conversion to modernism in his art as well as commercially with the start of his own Merz advertising agency.5 A reason for this beginning of an
By the 1920s, he coined the term Merz for his artwork. The term Merz derived from the word Commerzbank, meaning commerce, which he had cut out of an advertisement for a bank.2 Merz works explored the boundaries of what is considered traditional genres of art as well as expanded the ways of making art. Schwitters’ had this to say about his movement;
“At the end of 1918, I realized that all values only exist in relationship to each other and that restriction to a single material is one-sided and small-minded. From this insight I formed Merz, abouve all the sum of individual art forms, Merz-painting, Merz-poetry.”3
Merz soon became synonymous with Schwitters’ himself.
During the First World War, in March of 1917 he was drafted into the German army. But because of his epilepsy, he was declared as unfit for service. Later that same year he was recruited as a military draftsman in the Wufel ironworks in Hanover.4 His wartime service in industrial work also influenced his conversion to modernism in his art as well as commercially with the start of his own Merz advertising agency.5 A reason for this beginning of an