Dau al Set facts for kids

Dau al Set (pronounced "dow al set") was an important art group that started in Barcelona, Catalonia, in September 1948. It was the first big art movement there after World War II. A poet named Joan Brossa created the group.

The name "Dau al Set" means "the seventh face of the dice" in Catalan. This name showed that the group wanted to break away from old ideas. They were known for showing thoughts and dreams in their art. The group was greatly inspired by the Surrealist and Dadaist art styles.

History of Dau al Set

Dau al Set began as a new and exciting art group in September 1948. It was led by Joan Brossa, a poet from Catalonia. Brossa started the group because of the strict government in Spain after the Spanish Civil War. This time was known as the "Guerra Civil".

Under the new Spanish State, led by Francisco Franco, many parts of culture changed. The Spanish art world was especially affected. New and different art movements in Catalonia and Spain stopped almost completely. Instead, the government promoted its own art style. This art often supported the government and its ideas. Dau al Set was formed to bring back exciting, new art to Spain.

The Dau al Set Magazine

In 1949, Dau al Set started publishing its own magazine. Joan-Josep Tharrats helped print it using his private press. Most of the magazine was written in Catalan, which was not allowed in Francoist Spain at the time.

The magazine usually printed between 100 and 200 copies. Each issue had four to twelve pages. It was delivered to people in Barcelona who subscribed. The magazine was 22.5 cm by 18.7 cm and was never bound like a book. These magazines were published regularly until the end of 1951. After that, the Dau al Set group slowly started to break apart.

The Group Changes

In 1952, Antoni Tàpies, one of the founding members, left the group. He wanted to focus on his own art, which was in the Surrealist and Informal styles. The next year, Joan Ponç moved to Brazil to continue painting. In 1954, Modest Cuixart also left the group.

Even though members left, Joan-Josep Tharrats kept creating and publishing the Dau al Set magazine. From 1953 to 1956, the magazine came out less often. It went from once a month to once a season, then to just two times a year. The very last issue was published in 1956.

Art Style of Dau al Set

Dau al Set started out similar to Surrealism. But it slowly grew into its own unique style. One part of their style was using ideas from the surrealist world of dreams. Dau al Set took this further by mixing scientific and philosophical ideas with magical feelings. These magical elements came from Joan Brossa's special style.

The use of magic was important throughout the movement. It showed a secret world of inner thoughts and feelings. While magic was a common theme, each member added their own unique touch to Dau al Set.

Unique Artist Contributions

Joan Ponç had one of the most striking styles. His art often showed scary images with different monsters. In contrast, Modest Cuixart's work often featured fantasy images. These were influenced by German expressionism and Joan Miró.

Finally, Antoni Tàpies often painted in a style similar to Paul Klee. His art had unclear images in a dark setting with glowing lights. These three unique styles, built on a base of magical elements, created the special look of the Dau al Set movement.

Influences on Dau al Set

Dau al Set was greatly inspired by two art movements that came before it. These were Dadaism and Surrealism.

Dadaism's Impact

Dadaism was an art movement from the early 1900s in Europe. It was a very new and experimental style. Dada artists wanted to challenge the upper classes in society. They believed that too much logic and reason had caused war. So, their art often showed chaos and things that didn't make sense.

Dada art used techniques like cubism, collages, and photomontages. You can see these techniques in Dau al Set's work too. Dadaism helped create the exciting art scene that Dau al Set wanted to bring back. Some Dada artists who influenced Dau al Set were Francis Picabia and Max Ernst.

Surrealism's Impact

Surrealism was another cultural movement that started in the 1920s. It was heavily influenced by Dadaism. Surrealist art often showed the world of dreams. They believed this dream reality existed just below our everyday life. Surrealism also had a strong political side. It often challenged the normal rules of society.

Some Surrealist artists who influenced Dau al Set include Joan Miró, Paul Klee, Josep Vicenç Foix, and Salvador Dalí. Surrealism also brought the idea of magical elements, which were often seen in the dream world it created. Dau al Set took these magical ideas and developed them even further.

Members of Dau al Set

There were six main people who started Dau al Set:

• Joan Brossa, a poet
• Arnau Puig, a philosopher
• Joan Ponç, an artist
• Antoni Tàpies, an artist
• Modest Cuixart, an artist
• Joan-Josep Tharrats, who was both a painter and an editor

Over the years, other people sometimes contributed to Dau al Set. These included Juan Eduardo Cirlot, Antonio Saura, Enrique Tábara, and Manolo Millares. They often wrote articles that helped make Dau al Set an important intellectual work.

Exhibitions

Dau al Set art was shown in several exhibitions.

• December 1949, Institut Francais in Barcelona, Spain
• October 1951, Sala Caralt in Barcelona, Spain
• December 2008-January 2009, Fundacio J.V. Foix in Barcelona, Spain
• February 2009- April 2009, Fundacio Fran Daurel in Barcelona, Spain
• May 2009-June 2009, University of Cantabria in Santander, Spain
• July 2009-August 2009, Fundacion Diaz Caneja in Palencia, Spain
• August 2009- September 2009, Fundacion Antonio Perez in Cuenca, Spain
• October 2009-December 2009, Ibercaja in Zaragoza, Spain
• December 2009-January 2010, Sala de Exposiciones Vimcorsa in Cordoba, Spain
• February 2010-March 2010, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Conde Duque in Madrid, Spain
• April 2010-May 2010, Centro Cultural de la Diputación in Ourense, Spain
• May 2010-June 2010, Sala Pescadería Vieja in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain

Impact of Dau al Set

Dau al Set had a lasting effect on art history. Most importantly, it helped keep new and experimental art alive in Spain during the time of Franco's rule. Dau al Set also helped create the Informalist art movement in Spain in the 1950s. The magical and fantasy elements from Dau al Set even appeared again in Spanish art in the 1980s.

This group also inspired other art movements in Spain. These included the Grup d’Elx and El Paso. Important artists like Joan Castejón, Eusebio Sempere, and Manolo Millares were influenced by them. Also, each of the Dau al Set members continued to make their own impact after the group ended. Antoni Tàpies is a great example. He continued his art style, which was strongly based on surrealism, and became a famous abstract artist.

See also

In Spanish: Dau al Set para niños