Artists in this movement were largely anti-war, anti-bourgeois, and radically leftist. The work they made was designed to question society at large, which they believed was falling apart. They did not aim to make beautiful art but rather to make statements and start conversations.
The use of readymades—or purchasable objects that could be labeled art—was a cornerstone of the movement as was randomization. The artist Hans Arp was particularly interested in using chance to create collage and—as a result—calling into question the role of the artist.