Artist Research

Hannah Hoch

Hannah Höch was born in Gotha, Germany, in 1889, and was a key progenitor of the self conscious practice of collaging diverse photographic elements from different sources to make art, which was known as Photomontage.

"Cut with a kitchen knife"
1919

"Grotesque"
1963

She helped expand the notion of what could be considered art by incorporating found objects of popular culture into "higerh" art. She was one of the first Dadaists to take advantage of such means.

She was a political iconoclast, and actively criticized prevailing society in her work, and, implicitly, through many of the life choices. She also had an active interest in challenging the status of women in the social world of her times which motivated a long series of works that promoted the idea of the "New Woman" in the era.

The "New Woman" was an energetic, professional and androgynous woman, who was ready to take her place as mans equal.