Mephisto2

Marcel Duchamp
Fountain
1917/1964
Readymade: porcelain urinal. 23.5 x 18 cm, hight 60 cm.
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.


Duchamp's infamous and iconoclastic Fountain is perhaps the most famous example of "Readymade" art. Duchamp was one of the original proponents of Dada (xx) but went on to develop his own avant-garde style exemplified by this piece.

Readymade art uses everyday objects and presents them as objects d'art. It challenges preconceived notions of what constitutes art.

From an anonymous article published by Duchamp, Beatrice Wood, and H.-P. Roche in Blind Man, May 1917.

To quote Max Podstolski's essay The Elegant Pisser: Fountain by "R. Mutt", "One of the most iconoclastic artworks of the 20th century was Marcel Duchamp's Fountain of 1917, a time-bomb waiting to blow the artworld to smithereens. The concept of art, and the course of art history, was irreversibly changed as a consequence"

It was originally created in 1917 for an exhibiton hosted by the New York Society for Independent Artists. The fact that is was signed "R Mutt" has been interpreted as a satirical comment on some cartoons that were popular at the time or the name of the plumbing supplier from which he bought it. Duchamp himself said he signed it R Mutt as he was a Director of the Society for Independent Artists and he didn't want to be accused of a conflict of interest.

As a point of interest, this work of art has recently been chosen as the most influential of the 20th century.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.j...toryID=6967373


Mr Mephisto