Merzbild Rossfett is a significant artwork created by Kurt Schwitters around 1919. The artwork, which belongs to the larger Merz art movement developed by Schwitters, is essentially a collage made up of found objects such as newspaper clippings and train tickets. Schwitters aimed to create a unique form of art that deconstructed traditional techniques and materials used in artworks.
Merzbild Rossfett serves as an excellent example of Schwitters’ interest in the use of everyday objects in art. It epitomizes his concepts concerning the incorporation of waste materials into modernist artistic practice. As such, it has become one of the most famous among his collages.
Schwitters wanted his works to showcase contrast; he was keen on presenting discordant items within single pieces but having them work together harmoniously. While incorporating non-traditional items into artworks wasn’t brand new at the time, with Dadaists avant-garde groups using similar techniques before him, it was not seen in anything like this quantity or complexity before Merzbild Rossfett’s creation.
Overall, Merzbild Rossfett showcases Kurt Schwitters’ unique vision for what art could be while putting everyday items typically thrown away back into play as elements fit for use within upper echelon cultural expression forms.
