Hannah Hhoch Cut With The Kitchen Knife Dada Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Hannah Höch (or Joanne Höch) is a German feminist artist born on November 1, 1889, in Gotha, Germany and died in 1978. Höch is best known for her political photomontage and semi-abstract collage compositions, and her most recognized artworks are the ones produced during Berlin Dada movement, which was after World War I. This paper sheds light on Hannah Höch’s significant input in the art of photomontage and her political stances as an intersectional feminist icon. I will also attempt to analyse one of Höch’s well-known photomontages “Cut with the Kitchen Knife Dada”.

FORMAL DESCRIPTION

Höch’s large-scale confrontational photomontage that was displayed in International Dada Fair “Cut with the Kitchen Knife Dada Through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch of German” reflected her views of the political and social issues. Overall, the photomontage appears to be very chaotic, as there are many photographic elements cut and juxtapositioned into one frame, the viewer’s eye may not be directed into a certain place as there is no focal point or a central composition that grabs the viewer’s attention. Judging on the way pictures are placed, the composition could be divided into two sections since, both top right and

Hannah had many significant contributions in the pioneering of photomontage; as she paved the way for many later artists to come, especially female artists. Many female Dada artists were underestimated by their male colleagues in the Berlin Dada group. Hans Richter described Höch’s contributions as “the sandwiches, beer and coffee she managed somehow to conjure up despite the shortage of money.” and Höch challenged individuals like Hans Richter by promoting the idea of women working creatively in the society as artists, she produced numerous photomontages and was able to exhibit her work at the International Dada Art Fair in Berlin in