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 The Hat Makes the Man |
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Max Ernst
On April 2, 1891, Max Ernst claims that he was hatched from an egg. His birth took place in a town called Bruhl, six miles south of Cologne. His father was a teacher at the School of the Deaf and Dumb, as well as a painter. Max had his first experiences with painting by watching his father. He entered the University of Bonn with the intentions of becoming a psychiatrist, but slips into his real love; painting. In 1918, Dada arrives in Germany and Ernst soon becomes involved in the movement. In 1919, Ernst helps to arrange the first Dada exhibition in Cologne. Max was also involved in many Dada publications, such as Der Strom and Anthologie Dada. There is a visual and intellectual allure when viewing his works in the years 1919 to 1924. The viewer is met with questions of meaning and process. Sometimes the answers are clear and then in others the meaning is frustratingly complex. Max Ernst is one of the most influential artists of the Dada period. He worked closely with other Dada artists such as Grosz, Huelsenbeck, Hoch, and Baargeld. He influenced many Dada artists including John Heartfield.
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