Dadaism and Existentialism: Against Societal Norms

Camus uses "The Stranger" to make his philosophy about the human condition very visible: suffering (the death of Maman, the death of the Arab, violence against Raymond and his mistress) is random and ever-present, believing in traditional values and progress only obscures reality (Meursault finds no use in believing he will escape prison, despite his ache for the mundane aspects of his former life), and to transgress 'bad faith' is to become authentically free (Meursault dies a happy man). Clearly, Camus was an important part of the larger existentialist movement in 19th-century Europe, among other key thinkers. Though they originate from different time periods and different art forms, Camus' attitude about life relates to an important, early 20th century visual art movement called Dadaism.

Dadaism was an art movement in post-World War I Europe. Dada artists' work reflected the absurdity and questioning of what it means to live a life after the mass violence of the deadliest war in history at that point in time. Though the existentialist movement came around a few decades later, Dadaist philosophy could be seen as a precedent for thinkers like Camus' understanding that life is full of pain and suffering.

In order to reflect how nonsensical it was to maintain certain conceptions of what is normal in the aftermath of large-scale death and within the art world, the Dadaists used everyday, "readymade" objects in their work. One well-known example of this is "The Fountain" by Marcel Duchamp. This piece consists of a small, white urinal with the words "R. Mutt 1917" on it as the artist's signature. To argue that a urinal is artwork is to question what 'art' is. Placing an ordinary object in a gallery seems ridiculous by typical standards of fine art. The urinal functioned as a parody of these standards - another philosopher, Stephen Hicks, stated that "The Fountain" proved that "Art is something you piss on." Essentially, nothing is precious.

This piece and Dadaism as a whole seem tied to existentialism in obvious ways. Duchamp questions the art world in the same way that Meursault questions the criminal justice system; both men show how neither institution's set of values, nor general societal ideals, can properly address the pain and emotions of the world at large. The two movements also embraced the absurd. Finally, Dadaists and existentialists' work shaped future generations' increased examination of the world we live in, inspiring important later visual and literary works. Maybe, then, the desired 'cries of hate' at Meursault's execution aren't so different from those of shocked critics upon seeing a urinal submitted to an art show.