Tristan Tzara


				*Tristan Tzara*



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L'Antitete (1949)

Tristan Tzara

Life: 1896 – 1963 (1)

Country: France (born in Romania)

Style(s): Dadaism; surrealism

Works: Calligramme (circa 1912-1924)

L’Antitete (1949)

Seven Dada Manifestos and Lampisteries (1924)

Quote: “DADA suggests two solutions: No more looks! No more words! (No more manifestos.)” (2)

Fun Fact: Born Samuel Rosenstock (3); he helped Hugo Ball found the Cabaret Voltaire, a gathering for artists and other anti-war intellectuals (2). He was one of the main founders of Dada as well as a poet and essayist (1). He tried to reconcile surrealism and Marxism--he even joined the Communist Party in 1936! (1). He was in the French Resistance during WWII (1). In 1919, he met André Breton in Paris(4).

It is very difficult to find Tzara. You keep getting conflicting information until you finally figure out that Samuel Rosenstock of Romania and Tristan Tzara of France are one and the same (3). Once you finally find Tzara, he regales you with stories of his time in the Cabaret Voltaire, a gathering for artists and anti-war intellectuals which Tzara had helped Hugo Ball found (2). He also tells of his time in the French Resistance during World War II (1). Then he relates many of his efforts to try and reconcile surrealism and Marxism along with memories from his time in the Communist Party, which he joined in 1936 (1). He tells you of when he first met Breton in Paris in 1919 and their time discussing art and philosophy.

You ask Tzara why he and

Seven Dada Manifestos and Lampisteries (written by Tzara) (1924)

the other early Dada artists didn’t write any manifestos or such to explain their art movement to the public and other interested artists.

“No, no. You don’t understand!” storms Tzara, “Dada is not an art movement! It’s…. just a thing! It’s supposed to be a…feeling. We don’t need words to explain it. If you don’t get it, you just don’t get it. Dada is an anti-art movement. Look at my work. It’s not what you’d call art. It is just…me” (2).

“Well,” you say, “Does Dada have anything to do with time? You see, Chucky, my…uh…squirrel, was…uh abducted and there was this ransom note and it was, well, it was about time, and, and I think that it has something to do with like abstract art—kind—of, and that stuff.”

“I have heard of your squirrel. He has become quite a hot topic among us. I think you might want to try Max Klinger—he is another anti-realist (2). He might know something that could help you and Chucky.”

Max Klinger

Calligramme (circa 1912-1924)

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