Dau al Set or Dau-al-Set (meaning "Seventh Face of the Die" in Catalan) was an Avant-garde artistic and philosophical movement that emerged in Catalonia (Spain) after World War II. It was founded by the poet and artist Joan Brossa in September of 1948 in Barcelona. This artistic movement was characterized by its interdisciplinary nature (such as poetry), and it was inspired by elements of Dadaism, Surrealism, Abstract Art, Symbolism and philosophical existentialism, and poetically depicted the nature of the conscious and subsconscious mind. The movement was 'rupturista' (a Catalan & Spanish word to describe the belief that the system or the estabilished social norms should change) and was created to experiment with new forms of artistic expression and reject traditional art styles.
History[]
The Dau al Set movement was founded by Joan Brossa in Barcelona in (1948), after World War II and the Spanish Civil War. The movement was centered around the magazine of the same name, which started publishing content in 1948 until 1951. Other key figures of the movement included Arnau Puig, Joan Ponç, Antoni Tàpies, Modest Cuixart and Joan-Josep Tharrats. The Dau al Set played an important role in Spanish post-war era art, as they explored new cultural and philosophical alternatives and aimed to positivize Catalan society during the first dark years of Francisco Franco's regime in Spain. The movement ended in 1956 due to the unstable situation of the main group behind it.
The Dau al Set Magazine[]
The Dau al Set magazine was founded by Joan-Josep Tharrats and it started being published along with the beginning of the art movement in 1948. It was a continuation of former magazine Algol, which was founded by the same group of people. Originally, the magazine was of Dadaist ideology, and the authors expressed their philosophical beliefs, such as being indifferent to society. Its ideology soon evolved into existentionalism and surrealism. The magazine especialized in various fields, such as philosophy, poetry and art.
The Museum of Modern Art of New York City classified this magazine as one of the best twenty Avant-garde magazines of the 20th century.
Visuals[]
Some of the characteristics used in Dau al Set include:
- Surrealistic elements
- Depictions of dreams, hallucinations, mythology and the subsconscious mind
- Distorted human figures
- Mythological creatures
- Heavy symbolic imagery
- Abstract elements, landscapes, textures and art
- Bold, strong and vibrant colours mixed with monochrome tones
- Contrasting colours
- Non-figurative expression of expressing emotions, ideas, and concepts (this was due to the limited freedom of speech at the time)
Media[]
Artists[]
- Joan Brossa
- Antoni Tàpies
- Modest Cuixart
- Joan Miró
- Salvador Dalí
- Joan Ponç
- Modest Cuixart
- Juan Eduardo Cirlot
- Arnau Puig
- Modest Urgell
Gallery[]
