In 1920 Marsden Hartley announced his allegiance to Dada in an essay titled "The Importance of Being ‘Dada.’" In it, he praised the modernist philosophy of promoting the comedic and commonplace side of art, solidifying his affiliation with Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray, the editors of New York Dada magazine, to which Hartley contributed poetry. New York Dada featured wordplay and witty commentaries on modern mechanization—themes that appear to underlie Rubber Plant, the title of which could have a double meaning: a tree used to make rubber, or a factory that produces rubber goods, such as tires for automobiles (another subject of Dadaist derision and enchantment). Hartley spent his teenage years in Ohio, the nexus of the rubber industry, where several leading companies had established and expanded their headquarters.