Oorlog - Kurt Schwitters

A classic Merz collage by Kurt Schwitters, featuring a layered composition of found paper ephemera and typography in muted earth tones.

Kurt Schwitters, a central figure in the Dada movement, developed his own approach to collage, which he termed Merz. This work, titled Oorlog, demonstrates his method of repurposing discarded ephemera into a structured composition. By gathering fragments of everyday life, such as transport tickets, newspaper clippings, and printed advertisements, Schwitters transforms mundane materials into a visual arrangement that rejects traditional notions of fine art.

The composition is built through the layering of paper scraps, creating a sense of depth despite the flat nature of the medium. The palette is dominated by muted ochre, tan, and brown tones, reflecting the aged quality of the paper stock used. The inclusion of the word Oorlog, Dutch for war, provides a thematic anchor, suggesting a commentary on the social and political climate of the era. The arrangement of these elements is deliberate, balancing geometric shapes with the irregular edges of torn paper. Schwitters avoids representational imagery, focusing instead on the texture, typography, and colour of the found objects.

This piece is representative of the artist's practice during his time in exile, where he continued to collect and assemble materials from his immediate surroundings. The work functions as a record of the time, preserving fragments of public information and commercial design that would otherwise be lost. Through this process, Schwitters creates a dialogue between the original purpose of the materials and their new existence as components of an abstract construction. The print captures the tactile quality of the original collage, maintaining the subtle variations in paper tone and the crispness of the printed text.