1888-1976 German Dada Painter, graphic artist, avant-garde filmmaker and producer.
In 1916, he went to Zürich and joined the Dada movement. There he met Hugo Ball, Tristan Tzara, Emmy Hennings, Jean Arp and Raoul Hausmann among others.
In 1918, he met Viking Eggeling, the two experimented together in Film.
In 1921 he made the first abstract film, "Rhythmus 21," which today is considered a classic among avant-garde film.
From 1942 to 1952, he was in the US, took the post of Director of the Institute of Film Techniques at the City College of New York.
In 1946 he put together a feature length film called, "Dreams That Money Can Buy" which drew on ideas from Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, Alexander Calder and Man Ray.
In 1957, after returning to Europe, Hans finished a film named "Dadascope" with original poems and prose spoken by their creators: Hans Arp, Marcel Duchamp, Raoul Hausmann, Richard Huelsenbeck, Tristan Tzara, Marcel Janco and Emmy Hennings. This film is still available on video. During this year he also worked on another film with Jean Cocteau called "8 x 8".
Other Films:
- "Rhythmus 21" - 1921
- "Rhythmus 23" - 1923
- "Filmstudie" - 1926
- "Ghosts Before Breakfast"
- "Vormittagsspuk" - 1927-28
- "Race Symphony" - 1928-29
- "Two Pence Magic"
- "Zweigroschenzauber" - 1928-29
- "Inflation" - 1927-28
- "Everything Turns Everything"
- "Revolves * Alles Dreht Sich, Alles"
- "Bewegt Sich" - 1929
He wrote the 1964 book, "Dada: Art and Anti-Art" which is an extensive memoir of the entire Dada Movement and many of the personalities in it.
He participated in the first avant garde film movement alongside Ferdinand Léger, Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, Francis Picabia, Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dali and Luis Buñuel. Later in New York his teachings would influence many of the "New American Cinema" filmmakers.
Some of his films are available in the Anthology Film Archives, New York.
Sources:
Motherwell, Robert "The Dada Painters and Poets: An Anthology", Harvard University Press, 1951
Richter, Hans, "dada: art and anti-art", Thames and Hudson, London, 1997.
Rubin, William S., "Dada, Surrealism, and Their Heritage", Museum of Modern Art, NY, 1968.
Last updated 05.28.03