Merz Picture 25A: The Star Picture was created by German artist Kurt Schwitters in 1920. It is part of his Merz series and is considered a Dada piece. Using scraps and found objects from the streets of Hanover, Schwitters created a collage that features a picture frame in the lower left-hand corner, possibly from his E-Collection of pictures gifted to him by friends.
Located in the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen in Dusseldorf, Germany, this collage contains various shapes, colors and textures arranged in an abstract manner. As with most of Schwitters’ work, he rejected traditional art styles and embraced different genres including constructivism, cubism and surrealism.
The prominence of the star shape within Merz Picture 25A has led some critics to believe that it may allude to political symbolism or astrological theories popular at the time. Despite its avant-garde origins, this piece remains a significant example within modern art history due to its revolutionary use of unconventional materials such as fabric scraps, newspapers articles and leaflets dispersed throughout the composition.
Overall, Merz Picture 25A represents Kurt Schwitters’ innovative approach towards art-making where he celebrated found objects through their recontextualization into pieces blending poetry and visual arts.
