Theo Van DoesbergBorn August 30, 1883 in Utrecht, Netherlands

Painter. Writer. Designer. Art critic.

Influenced industrial design, typography, architecture, literature and music.

Died March 7, 1931 in Davos, Switzerland

Photographed in Cafe L’Aubette. 1927.

c. 1915

With the mobilization of Dutch forces, he was sent to Tillburg near the Belgium front in WWI.

c. 1915

With the mobilization of Dutch forces, he was sent to Tillburg near the Belgium front in WWI.

c. 1915

With the mobilization of Dutch forces, he was sent to Tillburg near the Belgium front in WWI.

c. 1915

With the mobilization of Dutch forces, he was sent to Tillburg near the Belgium front in WWI.

c. 1915

With the mobilization of Dutch forces, he was sent to Tillburg near the Belgium front in WWI.

c. 1915

With the mobilization of Dutch forces, he was sent to Tillburg near the Belgium front in WWI.

Piet Mondrian. Composition ii in red, blue and yellow. 1930.

Piet Mondrian. Composition ii in red, blue and yellow. 1930.

Theo van Doesburg. Counter composition xiv. 1925.

1917-1931 van Doesburg published and edited De Stijl magazine.

De StijlA collectivist, Dutch art movement that influenced art internationally through the 1920s. Committed to a unity of the arts, it appealed to fine artists, designers and architects because it sought an objective abstraction through primary color schemes and geometric shapes.

The movement also had utopian ideals of unity and universal visual language, likely a response to beginning of WWI and a reflection of Western European neutrality.

De stijl postcard. 1920.

De StijlA collectivist, Dutch art movement that influenced art internationally through the 1920s. Committed to a unity of the arts, it appealed to fine artists, designers and architects because it sought an objective abstraction through primary color schemes and geometric shapes.

The movement also had utopian ideals of unity and universal visual language, likely a response to beginning of WWI and a reflection of Western European neutrality.

De StijlA collectivist, Dutch art movement that influenced art internationally through the 1920s. Committed to a unity of the arts, it appealed to fine artists, designers and architects because it sought an objective abstraction through primary color schemes and geometric shapes.

The movement also had utopian ideals of unity and universal visual language, likely a response to beginning of WWI and a reflection of Western European neutrality.

De stijl journal cover. 1917.

De StijlA collectivist, Dutch art movement that influenced art internationally through the 1920s. Committed to a unity of the arts, it appealed to fine artists, designers and architects because it sought an objective abstraction through primary color schemes and geometric shapes.

The movement also had utopian ideals of unity and universal visual language, likely a response to beginning of WWI and a reflection of Western European neutrality.

The Cow.c. 1916.

ConstructivismConstructivism grew from a blend of Cubism and Futurism mixed together with the revolutionary political climate in Russia before WWI and the communist takeover. Borrowed collage and turned it into bas-relif, then free standing sculpture and architectural constructions.

Archipenko. Medrano II. 1913.

ConstructivismConstructivism grew from a blend of Cubism and Futurism mixed together with the revolutionary political climate in Russia before WWI and the communist takeover. Borrowed collage and turned it into bas-relif, then free standing sculpture and architectural constructions.

ConstructivismConstructivism grew from a blend of Cubism and Futurism mixed together with the revolutionary political climate in Russia before WWI and the communist takeover. Borrowed collage and turned it into bas-relif, then free standing sculpture and architectural constructions.

van Doesburg. Woman dancing, 1 and 2. 1916.

ConstructivismConstructivism grew from a blend of Cubism and Futurism mixed together with the revolutionary political climate in Russia before WWI and the communist takeover. Borrowed collage and turned it into bas-relif, then free standing sculpture and architectural constructions.

ConstructivismConstructivism grew from a blend of Cubism and Futurism mixed together with the revolutionary political climate in Russia before WWI and the communist takeover. Borrowed collage and turned it into bas-relif, then free standing sculpture and architectural constructions.

van Doesburg. The scarecrow page. 1925.

ConstructivismConstructivism grew from a blend of Cubism and Futurism mixed together with the revolutionary political climate in Russia before WWI and the communist takeover. Borrowed collage and turned it into bas-relif, then free standing sculpture and architectural constructions.

ConstructivismConstructivism grew from a blend of Cubism and Futurism mixed together with the revolutionary political climate in Russia before WWI and the communist takeover. Borrowed collage and turned it into bas-relif, then free standing sculpture and architectural constructions.

van Doesburg. Still life. 1916.

ConstructivismConstructivism grew from a blend of Cubism and Futurism mixed together with the revolutionary political climate in Russia before WWI and the communist takeover. Borrowed collage and turned it into bas-relif, then free standing sculpture and architectural constructions.

ConstructivismConstructivism grew from a blend of Cubism and Futurism mixed together with the revolutionary political climate in Russia before WWI and the communist takeover. Borrowed collage and turned it into bas-relif, then free standing sculpture and architectural constructions.

van Doesburg. Card Players. 1916.

clockwise from top left:Theo van Doesburg. Composition XII. 1918.

Piet Mondrian. Pier and Ocean. 1915.

Theo van Doesburg. typeface. 1919.

clockwise from top left:Theo van Doesburg. Composition XII. 1918.

Theo van Doesburg. typeface. 1919.

clockwise from top left:Theo van Doesburg. Composition XII. 1918.

Gerrit Rietveld. Child’s chair. 1920.

Theo van Doesburg. typeface. 1919.

clockwise from top left:Theo van Doesburg. Composition XII. 1918.

Gerrit Rietveld. Child’s chair. 1920.

Theo van Doesburg. typeface. 1919.

Gerrit Rietveld. Child’s chair. 1920.

Theo van Doesburg. typeface. 1919.

Gerrit Rietveld. Child’s chair. 1920.

Theo van Doesburg. Card Players. 1917.

Theo van Doesburg. typeface. 1919.

Clockwise from top, by Gerrit Rietveld:Red Blue Chair. 1923.Schroder House, exterior, interior. 1920.

Clockwise from top, by Gerrit Rietveld:Red Blue Chair. 1923.

Clockwise from top, by Gerrit Rietveld:Red Blue Chair. 1923.Theo van Doesburg. Simultaneous Countercomposition. 1929.

clockwise from top:

Cafe L’Aubette plans. Gouache. c 1928

Cafe L’Aubettearchitectural modelc. 1992

Cafe L’AubetteCinema, dance hall. c. 1928.

DADA

What is DADA cover. 1923.

Nihilistic precursor of surrealism c. 1915-1923 that began in Zurich in response to WWI.

Design prior to DADA was almost exclusively used to promote commercial interests and in 1914, political propaganda.

ANTI-EVERYTHING

DADANihilistic precursor of surrealism c. 1915-1923 that began in Zurich in response to WWI.

Design prior to DADA was almost exclusively used to promote commercial interests and in 1914, political propaganda.

ANTI-EVERYTHING

DADANihilistic precursor of surrealism c. 1915-1923 that began in Zurich in response to WWI.

Design prior to DADA was almost exclusively used to promote commercial interests and in 1914, political propaganda.

ANTI-EVERYTHING

DADA event poster with Kurt Schwitters. 1922.

DADANihilistic precursor of surrealism c. 1915-1923 that began in Zurich in response to WWI.

Design prior to DADA was almost exclusively used to promote commercial interests and in 1914, political propaganda.

ANTI-EVERYTHING

DADANihilistic precursor of surrealism c. 1915-1923 that began in Zurich in response to WWI.

Design prior to DADA was almost exclusively used to promote commercial interests and in 1914, political propaganda.

ANTI-EVERYTHING

DADA event poster with Kurt Schwitters. 1922.

DADANihilistic precursor of surrealism c. 1915-1923 that began in Zurich in response to WWI.

Design prior to DADA was almost exclusively used to promote commercial interests and in 1914, political propaganda.

ANTI-EVERYTHING

DADANihilistic precursor of surrealism c. 1915-1923 that began in Zurich in response to WWI.

Design prior to DADA was almost exclusively used to promote commercial interests and in 1914, political propaganda.

ANTI-EVERYTHING

Mechano cover. 1923.

1921 - 1923 van Doesburg lived in Weimar, Germany and used his home to promote de stijl to staff and students of

bauhaus. Bauhaus had an overriding commitment to architecture that rejected any division between

decorative and constructional techniques; as such it was closely related to de stijl and constructivism, but as far

away from DADA as one can get.

1922 van Doesburg convened an international conference of constructivists and DADAists in Weimar.

1930 published “A Manifesto of Art Concret”