Traditionally art is considered a serious matter. Thus it is not unusual that comic art would be placed at the lowest of the ladders. You will not see comic or humorous art displayed in art galleries or exhibitions. Art that makes us smile and laugh is generally not considered ‘actual art’, which stems from the lack of understanding of contemporary art. The use of comedy in the art can be traced back to ancient Greece.
Dadaism
Hugo Ball
The dadaist movement started in the aftermath of WWI. Its meaning originates from the word itself. Just as “Dada” does not mean anything in itself, Dadaism is also a simple joke when faced with the enormity and absurdity of war. It creates a sense of humor and indifference. Artworks emphasize creativity, freedom, randomness, and spontaneity by using wordplay, quippy artworks, and ready-made performances. Dadaists advocated humor in artworks to lift the spirits of the masses from war years.
Surrealism
Kay Sage, I Saw Three Cities, 1944
Dadaism was followed by surrealism. It also adopted the provocative attitude as its predecessor but integrated irrational and imaginary elements into the realm. The admirers of Sigmund Freud and the theory of psychoanalysis were the strongest proponents of the Surrealist movement. They advocated for liberation, the power of the unconscious, and the manifestation of dreams. This resulted in reduced emphasis on reality and consciousness.
Dark Humor
Mario Sanchez Nevado, Drifting on a Sad Song
The early mentions of humor in art were of darker, black humor. Unlike Dadaists or Surrealists who use playful and cheery humor, Dark humor is used as a weapon for pointing irony to show a political/ social stand.
Street Art
It is a mode of protest against governments, the military, the capitalist economy, or any form of authority. It highlights society’s paradoxes and questions the status quo. Street art uses dark humor, satire, irony, etc to express disagreement.
The comedic value of art depends on the eye. After all, all people don’t laugh at the same things. But it is still important to note that humor is everywhere and it should be supported and made mainstream.
