August 14, 1926

Relationship and sexuality.

            Amazing! Five years has already passed since the last time I wrote. A couple years back, I war grieving over my separation with Mr. Hausmann in 1922. Although this was a tragic time of my life, I was also welcomed by new freedom and independence. What are the details to the relationship? Well I must share them  with you to alleviate my thoughts inside.

            The friendship between Mr. Hausmann and I grew rapidly into romance. Yes, it is true that he was married to a woman by the name of Elfride Schaeffer. No matter, I put this fact aside and continued my relationship with him. During my relationship with Raoul, I obtained two abortions and continued my support for women’s reproductive control rights.

 Raoul helped involve me into the Berlin Dada movement, and I do thank him for that. However, he was physically abusive and this brought me much emotional pain. Our relationship was complicated and difficult to deal with. It did have its positive aspects at times when Hausmann impacted my works or guided me in my knowledge of Dadaism. With the positives, there were also the negative aspects. The fact I am a woman had always put restraints on me in the Berlin Dada group. Compared to Mr. Hausmann, I was only his lover but never sufficient enough to be his equal. At times it was very difficult to work with him because of his discrimination toward women.

In the time of this relationship, Mr. Hausmann and I began to work more with collages and worked together on different pieces. The separation from Raoul after seven years of romance was depressing. Nevertheless, I acquired more freedom as a woman, artist, and designer. Even before the break, I was well on my way to becoming an independent artist, depending solely on my expressions.

Today, I still continue my work as a Dadaist. I am happy to say that I have had a few exhibitions on my own. They are nothing big but I receive the chance to travel and see new places! In 1924, I was exhibited in the Soviet Union in my first Parisian visit. Russia had many new sites to view. It was all so startling to my eyes. The following year, I was exhibited in Deutschen Kunstgemeinschaft Berlin and took my second trip to Paris. Although my arts were not yet widely publicized, I was making progress. A few months ago, I met woman by the name of Til Brugman. She is a poet and studies the human language. Our friendship has quickly developed and I happen to think that she is morally attractive. Despite these thoughts, I still look for male companionship. Nonetheless, I am continuing my artwork to prepare for my upcoming exhibitions which I am quite excited for. Here are some examples of my early collages. Enjoy!

1924. Portraying the frustration and anger that women have. Depicts tension. I created this during the time of industrialization. I felt the need to speak for women and how this new society affects us.

 

Das Schöne Mädchen.“The Beautiful Girl,” 1920. As you can see, this is my background layout to my online journal. This piece is particularly one of my favorites. I enjoyed working on it and got a chance to incorporate many of my messages I convey through art. It depicts women in the midst of the society, rapid industrialization, and confusion out of chaos.

Entführung. “Abduction” 1925. One of my latest works. Here I placed a modern German woman in the middle of an African scene. She is seen with her mouth open and looking back, yet there is no turning back as the animal continues forward. I attempt to portray the new society consisting of Weimar Germany. This new movement is a shock to women but offers enthusiasm along with insecurity. 

H.H.