Myself and My Aims: Writings on Art and Criticism

589 Pages·2021·25.407 MB·English

by  Kurt Schwitters, Megan R. Luke (editor), Timothy Grundy (transl.)

MYSELF AND MY AIMS

MYSELF AND
MY AIMS
WRITINGS
ON ART
AND CRITICISM
KURT
SCHWITTERS
EDITED BY MEGAN R. LUKE
TRANSLATIONS BY TIMOTHY GRUNDY
The University of Chicago Press
Chicago and London
The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637
The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London
Texts © by Kurt und Ernst Schwitters Stiftung and DuMont Buchverlag
GmbH & Co. KG
Translations © 2021 by The University of Chicago
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief
quotations in critical articles and reviews. For more information, contact
the University of Chicago Press, 1427 E. 60th St., Chicago, IL 60637.
Published 2021
Printed in the United States of America
30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 1 2 3 4 5
ISBN- 13: 978-0 -2 26- 12939- 6 (cloth)
ISBN- 13: 978-0 -2 26- 67827- 6 (e- book)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226678276.001.0001
Pages xii and xxviii: Details from Kurt Schwitters’s handwritten notebooks.
Images courtesy bpk Bildagentur / Sprengel Museum, Hannover / Art
Resource, NY
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Names: Schwitters, Kurt, 1887–1948, author. | Luke, Megan R., 1977– editor. |
Grundy, Timothy, translator.
Title: Myself and my aims : writings on art and criticism / Kurt Schwitters ;
edited by Megan R. Luke ; translations by Timothy Grundy.
Description: Chicago ; London : The University of Chicago Press, 2021. |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020013177 | ISBN 9780226129396 (cloth) |
ISBN 9780226678276 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Art. | Art, Modern. | Art criticism.
Classification: LCC N6888.S42 A35 2021 | DDC 700–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020013177
♾ This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48- 1992 (Permanence
of Paper).
CONTENTS
List of Illustrations [ix]
An Introduction to Merz-T hought [xiii]
A Note to the Reader [xxvii]
1 The Problem of Abstract Art. First Attempt 17 Hannover (June 1920) [49]
(June– August 1910) [1] 18 Extension (June 1920) [50]
2 Problem of Pure Painting. 2nd Attempt. 1. 19 Tran Number 11. German Popular Criticism,
Beginning (before December 1910) [14] the Criticism of Reconstruction (August
3 Materials for My Work on the Problem 1920) [53]
of Pure Painting. 3rd Attempt (November 20 Tran No. 12. Criticism as Artwork
1910) [15] (September 1920) [56]
4 2nd Beginning to the Problem of Pure 21 Tran Number 13. The Private Scouring Cloth:
Painting. 2nd Attempt (December 1910– Contribution to a Phenomenology of Critical
January 1911) [ 17] Enjoyment (October 1920) [58]
5 Abstract Painting. 1918. A. (February 1918) 22 Tran No. 14. Dr. Frog Starves the Intellect
[ 23] (October 1920) [61]
6 Merz- Painting (July/November 1919) [ 24] 23 Tran Number 16. Life on Blind Feet
7 A Solid Article: A Wienerization in Sturm (December 1920) [63]
(August 1919) [ 25] 24 Kurt Schwitters (1920) [65]
8 The Merz-T heater / To All the Theaters of 25 Tran Number 17. The Fettered Paul Madsack
the World (1919) [ 27] (December 1920) [68]
9 Artists’ Right to Self-D etermination (1919) 26 MERZ (Written for the Ararat, 19 December
[ 31] 1920) (January 1921) [69]
10 Thou Me, I Thee, We Mine (and Sun Infi nity 27 Tran No. 15. The Average Phenomenon
Thin Out the Stars) (December 1919) [ 33] with Clear Eyes (January 1921) [77]
11 Nothing Kills Quicker Than Ridicule 28 Why I Am Dissatisfi ed with Oil Painting
(February 1920) [ 36] (January 1921) [80]
12 Berliner Börsenkukukunst (February 1920) Translated from Hungarian by John Batki
[ 38] 29 Tran 18 (February 1921) [81]
13 Tran Number 7. General Amnesty for 30 Evening Reading (ca. February 1921) [83]
My Hannoverian Critics in the Style of Merz 31 My Views on the Value of Criticism
(April 1920) [ 40] (for the Ararat) (May 1921) [84]
14 What Art Is: A Guide for Great Critics 32 Cleanliness (for People Who Don’t Know It Yet)
(April 1920) [ 44] (May 1921) [86]
15 Statement (April 1920) [46] 33 Tran 19 (August 1921) [87]
16 [I divide my poetry into three types . . .] 34 Castle and Cathedral with Courtyard Fountain
(April 1920) [47] (1922) [91]
35 Tran 21. Speech at the Grave of Leo Rein 64 National Feeling (August 1924) [199]
(in the Berliner Börsenzeitung 547 on 27 65 The Westheim Threat, Again (December
November 1921) (January 1922) [93] 1924) [201]
36 Tragedy. Tran No. 22, against Dr. Weygandt, 66 National Art (1925) [202]
PhD and MD (May 1922) [95] 67 [What Is Madness?] (ca. mid- 1920s) [203]
37 i (A Manifesto) (May 1922) [122] 68 Theses on Typography (1925) [204]
38 Tran No. 26 (1922) [123] 69 [The Standard Merz Stage] (1925) [206]
39 Tran 23 (September 1922) [124] 70 STANDARD MERZ STAGE (July 1925) [207]
40 Introduction to Tran No. 30: Auguste Bolte 71 Religion or Socialism (July 1925) [209]
(1923) [127] 72 STANDARD MERZ STAGE (Some Practical
41 The Self-O vercoming of Dada (January Suggestions.) (July 1925) [211]
1923) [128] 73 The ABC of the Standard Merz Stage (July
Translated from Dutch by Michael White 1925) [214]
42 [Introduction to Merz 1. Holland Dada] 74 Language (November 1925) [215]
(January 1923) [131] 75 Standard Stage by Kurt Schwitters (December
43 Dadaism in Holland (January 1923) [132] 1925) [218]
44 [Editorial note to Vilmos Huszár, Mechanische 76 Gut Garkau (ca. late 1925/early 1926) [224]
Dansfiguur] (January 1923) [139] 77 FANTASTIC THOUGHTS (ca. 1926) [226]
45 Style (ca. January– April 1923) [140] 78 Art and the Times (March 1926) [228]
46 i (April 1923) [141] 79 The New Architecture in Germany (March
47 WAR (April 1923) [152] 1926) [232]
48 War (April 1923) [153] 80 Life’s Path (May 1926) [235]
49 Manifesto Proletarian Art (April 1923) [154] 81 Facts from My Life (June 1926) [236]
50 From the World: “MERZ” (April– June 82 Rhythm in the Work of Art (October
1923) [156] 1926) [238]
51 Banalities (3) (July 1923) [167] 83 Merz- Book (October 1926) [239]
52 dada complet. 1 (July 1923) [169] 84 Standard Stage (October 1926) [241]
53 Banalities (4) / [Tristan Tzara] (July 85 My Merz and My Monster Merz: Model
1923) [170] Marketplace at Sturm (October 1926) [243]
54 DADA NEWS (July 1923) [172] 86 Call It Coincidence (ca. mid- 1920s) [245]
55 WATCH YOUR STEP! (October 1923) [173] 87 The Artist and His Titles (1926) [247]
56 Merz (1924) [177] 88 Merz 20. Kurt Schwitters Catalogue
57 i (January 1924) [178] (1927) [248]
58 DADA COMPLET No. 2. / TRAN 50 (January 89 [Ella Bergmann- Michel] (March 1927) [257]
1924) [180] 90 [Letter to Wassily Kandinsky] (April
59 Dadaists (January 1924) [183] 1927) [259]
60 [Advertisement for Merz 8/9. Nasci] (January 91 Elementary Knowledge in Painting (ca.
1924) [186] 1927) [263]
61 Tran 35. Dada Is a Hypothesis (March 92 Style or Form- Creation (1927) [269]
1924) [188] 93 typography and orthography: lowercase (ca.
62 Rigorous Poetry (June 1924) [192] 1927) [271]
63 Dadaism (1924) [196] 94 Sensation (July 1927) [272]
Translated from Polish by Kamila Kuc
95 Front against Fronta: Afterword to 118 the ring neue werbegestalter (1930) [344]
the Foreword of Fronta (July– August 119 Advertising Design (1930) [345]
1927) [274] 120 Form- Creation in Typography (February and
96 Proposals for a Systematic Typeface (August– April 1930) [380]
September 1927) [276] 121 Painting (ca. late 1920s/early 1930s) [396]
97 Sense of Duty (September 1927) [285] 122 On the Uniform Design of Print Materials
98 Stuttgart, The Home— Werkbund Exhibition (1930) [399]
(October 1927) [286] 123 Kurt Schwitters (1930) [406]
99 My Sonata in Ur-S ounds (November 124 [The Big E is fi nished . . .] (ca. 1930– 33) [413]
1927) [293] 125 Myself and My Aims (1931) [414]
100 Kitsch and Dilettantism (December 126 [We know the Doesburg of “Stijl” . . .] (June
1927) [297] 1931/January 1932) [422]
101 Good or Bad Fortune (December 1927) [298] 127 merz- paintings (1932) [424]
102 On Greek Temples (April 1928) [299] Translated from French by Eva Morawietz
103 Appearance (ca. spring 1928) [ 303] 128 [Statement about the Merzbau] (1933) [ 426]
104 Third Prague Letter (May 1928) [ 305] Translated from French by Eva Morawietz
105 The New Architecture in Celle: The Architect 129 [Excerpts from letters to Susanna
Otto Haesler (August 1928) [307] Freudenthal- Lutter about the Merzbau]
106 Form- Creating Typography (September (February and March 1935) [428]
1928) [311] 130 [Excerpt from a letter to Susanna Freudenthal-
107 Modern Advertising (October 1928) [315] Lutter about landscape painting] (July
108 Werkbund Congress in Munich, 1928 1935) [432]
(November 1928) [318] 131 The Work of Art (ca. 1937– 40) [433]
109 Stories That Have Run Their Course 132 Impressionism/Expressionism (ca. 1937–
(November 1928) [323] 40) [434]
110 Revue by Three Reviewed (December 133 The Tin Palm Tree (July 1937) [435]
1928) [325] 134 [I once saw a famous singer in a fi lm . . .]
111 [Review of Hans Hildebrandt, Woman as (December 1937) [437]
Artist] (December 1928) [328] 135 [Anyone who wants to write about people . . .]
112 Hannover and the Abstract Room by Lissitzky (December 1937) [438]
(April 1929) [330] 136 Sheet 1. For My New Studio (April 1938) [439]
113 About Me by Myself (May 1929) [332] 137 Sheet 2 (April 1938) [440]
Originally published in English, translator 138 Merz (April 1938) [442]
unknown 139 [I fi rst saw the light of the world in the year
114 A Layman’s Judgment of New Architecture 1887 . . .] (June 1938) [445]
(June 1929) [335] 140 [Once we realize that, basically, everything is
115 The Style of the Age and the Dammerstock futile . . .] (after 16 December 1939) [449]
Housing Estate (September 1929) [337] 141 Truth (ca. 1930s) [450]
116 Facts from My Life (December 1929) [340] 142 Art (January 1940) [451]
117 [The art of today is a strange thing . . .] (March 143 Mixing of Artistic Genres (ca. 1940) [453]
1930) [343] 144 Theory in Painting (January 1940) [455]
Translated from French by Eva Morawietz 145 Painting (Pure Painting) (October 1940) [456]
146 [The Portrait] (October 1940) [458]
147 European Art of the 20th Century (between
17 July 1940 and 22 November 1941) [461]
148 [Statement declining membership in
the Freier Deutscher Kulturbund] (after
November 1941) [466]
149 Abstract Art (after November 1941) [468]
Original in English
150 Material and Aims (after November 1941) [469]
Original in English
151 [Kurt Schwitters] (after November 1941) [470]
Original in English
152 The Origin of Merz (after November 1941) [471]
153 [Kurt Schwitters] (after November 1941) [474]
Original in English
154 [Renaissance] (after 30 October 1945) [475]
155 [Answers to a questionnaire for La savoir vivre]
(1946) [476]
Translated from French by Eva Morawietz
156 Key for Reading Sound Poems (September
1946) [477]
Original in English
157 My Art and My Life (ca. 1946– 47) [479]
Original in English
Acknowledgments [481]
Notes [483]
Index [533]
ILLUSTRATIONS
1 Katharine Schäffner, Die Hymne (Hymn), 16 Wassily Kandinsky, diagrams depicting the
ca. 1908 [18] translation of themes from Beethoven’s
2 Kurt Schwitters, Schloß und Kathedrale mit Fifth Symphony into graphic points and line,
Hofbrunnen (Castle and Cathedral with Court- 1926 [260]
yard Well), 1920/1922; Carl Krayl, Glashaus 17 Table 1, Neue plastische Systemschrift (New
von oben (Glass house from above), n.d. [90] plastic systematic typeface), 1927 [278]
3 Vilmos Huszár, Mechanische Dansfiguur 18 Table 2, Neue plastische Systemschrift (New
(Mechanical Dancing Figure), 1920 [138] plastic systematic typeface), 1927 [280]
4 Kurt Schwitters, i- Bild [1] (i- Picture [1]) and 19 Table 3, Neue plastische Systemschrift (New
i- Bild [2] (i- Picture [2]), 1923 [145] plastic systematic typeface), 1927 [282]
5 Merz 6 / Arp 1 (October 1923): 56, 64 [174] 20 Kurt Schwitters, posters in “Systemschrift,”
6 Kurt Schwitters, Untitled (Merz Column 1927 [283–84]
in the Studio), ca. 1920 [194] 21 Glass slides, ca. 1928– 29, reproducing
7 Kurt Schwitters, Normalbühne Merz (Stan- works by Carl Buchheister, Wassily Kandinsky,
dard Stage Merz), 1924 [206] El Lissitzky, and Ella Bergmann- Michel [281]
8 Kurt Schwitters, Normalbühne Merz 22 Glass slides, ca. 1928– 29, reproducing
(Standard Stage Merz), 1924 [212] works by Naum Gabo, László Moholy-N agy,
9 Sketch for rotating components of the and Kurt Schwitters [382]
Normalbühne Merz (Standard Stage Merz), 23 Glass slides, ca. 1928– 29, reproducing
1925 [213] works by Kurt Schwitters, El Lissitzky, and
10 Kurt Schwitters, Normalbühne Merz Piet Mondrian [383]
(Standard Stage Merz), 1925 [213] 24 El Lissitzky, Kabinett der Abstrakten (Abstract
11 Kurt Schwitters, Untitled (Standard Stage Cabinet), left-s ide wall, ca. 1930 [383]
Merz or Spatial Stage), 1925 [219] 25 Glass slides, ca. 1928– 29, reproducing works
12 Floor plan of the Normalbühne Merz (Stan- by Vilmos Huszár; Gerrit Rietveld and Truus
dard Stage Merz), 10 December 1925 [221] Schröder- Schräder; J. J. P. Oud; and Ludwig
13 Kurt Schwitters, Normalbühne (Standard Mies van der Rohe [384]
Stage), 1926 [242] 26 Glass slides, ca. 1928– 29, reproducing works
14 Cover for Merz 20. Kurt Schwitters by Karl Schneider, Otto Haesler, and Hugo
Katalog (1927) [249] Häring [385]
15 Genja Jonas, portrait of Kurt Schwitters, 27 Glass slides, ca. 1928– 29, reproducing
ca. 1926 / Kurt Schwitters, advertising works by Hans Arp, Cesar Domela, and Piet
designs for Handarbeitsgeschäft Buchheister, Zwart [386]
1925, and I. C. Herhold, 1926 [256] 28 Glass slides, ca. 1928– 29, reproducing works
by Jan Tschichold, Walter Dexel, Max Buch-
artz, and Hans Leistikow [387]