8/13/2019 Sophie Taeuber Arp

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Sophie Taeuber

born 1889 Davos, Switzerland

died 1943 Zurich, Switzerland

Sophie Henriette Gertrud Taeuber was born to a Geran !ather and Swiss other and

later becae one o! the onl" Swiss participants in Zurich Dada activities# $e%innin% in19&', she studied decorative paintin%, drawin%, and desi%n at the School o! (pplied (rts

o! Saint Gall# She went to )unich in the !all o! 191&, where she studied in the te*tilewor+shop o! an e*periental studio directed b" ilhel von Debschitz# (!ter a "ear at

the School o! (pplied (rts in Habur%, she returned a%ain to Debschitz- studio until she

oved to Zurich, where her sister had an apartent# .n the !all o! 191/ Taeuber et Hans(rp, an (lsatian artist and poet who would later becoe her husband# She and (rp

ebar+ed on an e*perient with abstract !ors# Taeuber-s previous wor+ with abstract

%eoetric copositions in her desi%ns !or te*tiles !ored the !oundation o! theircollaborative duo0colla%es, which were coposed o! cut paper arran%ed in strict

horizontal and vertical patterns# Taeuber also produced weavin%s !ro her own and (rp-s

desi%ns and was in this respect one o! the !irst artists in Zurich Dada to deonstrate thecontribution o! the applied arts to the developent o! abstract art# Throu%hout her "ears

o! involveent with Dada, Taeuber was also a pro!essor o! te*tile desi%n and techniues

at the School o! (pplied (rts in Zurich#

Since 191' Taeuber had been stud"in% dance with 2udol! von aban, a Swiss oderndancer and choreo%rapher who advocated a radical !or o! e*pressive oveent# .n

(pril o! that "ear, Taeuber and )ar" i%an, a student o! aban-s who would %o on to

becoe a proinent odern dancer, be%an per!orin% at the abaret 5oltaire dressed in

costues desi%ned b" other ebers o! the Dada circle# $ecause the Zurich School o!(pplied (rts disapproved o! their pro!essors ta+in% part in Dada activities, she danced

under a pseudon"# .n 1918 Taeuber received a coission to desi%n the sta%e sets andarionettes !or a production o! arlo Gozzi-s pla"Il re cervo67ni% Hirsch7in% Sta%:,adapted b" erner ol!! and 2en; )ora*# .t was the !irst per!orance o! its +ind to

inte%rate Dada and ps"choanal"sis# The aniatin% con!lict o! the pla" was the 1913

controvers" between Si%und