Home › Authors › Kurt Schwitters
Kurt Schwitters Quotes
1887–1948 Germany
Kurt Schwitters (June 20, 1887 – January 8, 1948) was a German painter who played an important role in Dada. He worked in several genres and media, including Dadaism, Constructivism, Surrealism, poetry, sound, painting, collage, sculpture, typography and what came to be known as installation art.
Also known as: Schwitters, Kurt
Random Kurt Schwitters quote
13 quotes
We, the founders of Dada-movement try to give time its own reflection in the mirror.
It is not the word that is the original material of poetry, rather the letter.
I have two principle aims, two life works. The second is my sonata [Schwitters' 'UrSonata' - a long sound poem of 35 minutes]
I is Style (2000)
Since the loss of the Merzbau [his former studio in Hannover, which was a big sculpture (5 x 4 x 4,5 meters) I did a lot of small sculptures..
I is Style (2000)
Kurt Schwitters is the inventor of Merz and I, and aside of himself, he recognizes no one as a Merz artist or an I artist with highest regards.
Merz stands for the freedom of all fetters.. .Merz also means tolerance towards any artistically motivated limitation. Every artist must be allowed to mould a picture out of nothing but blotting paper, for example, provided he is capable of moulding a picture.
Merz. Für den Ararat geschrieben (1920)
Rinnzekete bee bee nnz krr müü?
Dedesnn nn rrrrr,
Merz art strives for immediate expression by shortening the path from intuition to visual manifestation of the artwork.. ..they will receive my new work as they always have when something new presents itself: with indignation and screams of scorn.
Merz Painting (1919)
A museum that really wants to promote modern art might give the artist a guaranty, on certain conditions, so that he can get on with his life and his creations. Or do you believe that the museum is more interested in the artist's death, in order to see the price of his paintings go up?
I is Style (2000)
Consistent poetry is made of letters. Letters have no idea. Letters as such have no sound, they offer only tonal possibilities, to be valuated by the performer. The consistent poem weighs the value of both letters and groups.
Fümms bö wö tää zää Uu,
Art is a spiritual function of man, which aims at freeing him from life's chaos. Art is free in the use of its means in any way it likes, but is bound to its laws and to its laws alone. The minute it becomes art, it becomes much more sublime than a class distinction between proletariat and bourgeoisie.
Topics Kurt Schwitters is quoted on
Works