I was always a big fan of the Dada movement. But strictly for it's sillyness! I also was crazy about DEVO, for pretty much the same reason. So many contemporary artists are just totally anti-social fools. Here in Cleveland we had (was it Oldenberg's?) Free Stamp foisted upon us. What cr@p! And don't get me started on so-called "performance artists!
I totally agree with you. In the beginning, it was fun! And never meant to be taken seriously. When fools started to think they could elevate themselves by seeing some imaginary meaning in it did it really become a pain in the @$$. Like the Oldenburgs, totally! Who really needs a giant lumpy melted ice cream cone in the middle of the park? But the original dadaists, even if they were "anti-artists" had a really cool visual style mixed with humor that was quite appealing. I think it had a positive influence on graphic design, even if a negative one on "fine art".
Yep. The sad thing is that Dada should have fed art by poking a finger into its pretensions. Art got its revenge by killing Dada by taking it seriously. Nobody won.