Sophie Taeuber-Arp produced the Dada Head, a polychromed wood sculpture created in 1920 that exemplifies her synthesis of fine and applied arts. Operating within the intersection of Dadaism and Constructivism, she built a career across Switzerland, Germany, and France as a multifaceted practitioner, integrating textile design, interior architecture, dance, and nonfigurative painting into a cohesive artistic output.
Early Training and Education
Born in 1889 in Davos, she was the fifth child of Emil and Sophie Taeuber-Krüsi. Following the death of her father, the family relocated to Trogen. She pursued formal training in textile design at the trade school in St. Gallen from 1906 to 1910, followed by further studies at the School of Arts and Crafts in Hamburg and the workshop of Wilhelm von Debschitz in Munich. Upon the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, she returned to Switzerland.
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During her tenure at the Kunstgewerbeschule Zürich from 1916 to 1929, she taught embroidery and design while participating in the Dada movement centered at Cabaret Voltaire. She performed as a dancer and puppeteer, notably appearing at the 1917 Galerie Dada opening wearing a mask by Marcel Janco. Her abstract geometric works, including the Vertical-Horizontal series, mirrored the technical precision of her background in textiles and established her as an early proponent of Constructivism.
Architecture and French Residency
In 1922, she married the artist Jean Arp. The couple settled in France by 1926, later establishing a home in Meudon near Paris in 1928, which she designed herself. She expanded her practice into architecture and interior design, completing commissions such as the Café de l'Aubette in Strasbourg, where she collaborated with Jean Arp and Theo van Doesburg. Throughout the 1930s, she maintained memberships in the art groups Cercle et Carré and Abstraction-Création.
Final Years
Following the German invasion of France during the Second World War, Taeuber-Arp returned to Switzerland. She was a member of the Allianz group during this period. Her life concluded in 1943 in Zurich, following an accidental death caused by a leaking gas stove.
Fast facts
- Born: 1889, Davos
- Died: 1943, Zurich
- Citizenship: Switzerland
- Key Movements: Dada, Constructivism
- Primary Employment: Kunstgewerbeschule Zürich (1916-1929)
- Languages: French, German
Questions readers ask
What artistic disciplines did Sophie Taeuber-Arp master?
She was a versatile artist who worked as a painter, sculptor, architect, textile designer, illustrator, and dancer.
Was she associated with the Dada movement?
Yes, she was a significant participant in the Zurich Dada movement, contributing as a dancer, puppeteer, and co-signer of the Zurich Dada Manifesto.
Achievements
- Movement: Dada and Constructivism
