Curious visions 3: Marcel Duchamp

1. Marcel Duchamp, (French, 1887 – 1968) was one of the most influential Modernist artists. His ideas and use of media opened the way for much Contemporary art. His attitude to the conceptual relationship between artwork – artists – audience - world raised questions that were wrestled with for the rest of the century. This work from 1913, uses a ‘readymade’ object. It was Duchamp who originated the idea of using readymades. This is a different form of appropriation. Curious visions 3: Marcel Duchamp Duchamp, Bicycle Wheel, 1951 (reconstructed – original created 1913, lost.)

2. ‘Fountain’, 1917 is probably Duchamp’s most infamous work. It is a men’s urinal, placed on it’s back. The title is obviously a tease or joke, which was typical of Duchamp who, like the Dadaists/Surrealists, loved word games and puns. The piece was presented to the Society of Independent Artists in 1917. They broke the rules of their own society by censoring the item. They did exhibit the work, but hid it behind a screen where it could not be seen. Duchamp protested. This work, in no way changed, or juxtaposed with any other object (except the institution), caused great controversy and changed the way art was considered for all time. Fountain, men’s urinal, signed ‘R Mutt’,1917

3. Because of the Fountain protest, the Society ended up confirming that an object can be considered art even if the artist has had no input into its creation at all. It is the choices the artist makes, said the Society, which makes it art. This emphasises the ideas behind a piece of art. This would be re-examined in the 1960s with such artists as Andy Warhol, in the 1990s with Jeff Koons, and many others in various ways. It also suggests that the context in which an object is placed is of significance(i.e. a Gallery space.) Bottle dryer, replica 1936, after original of 1914, lost. The prongs on this bottle dryer are waiting to poke into the wet bottles and hold them while they dry. It has been considered as an erotic object for this reason. Duchamp repeatedly explored the idea of “bachelor objects” in his work.

4. LAWS OF CHANCE This work involves accident or the laws of chance which the Dadaists and Surrealists would use a few years later. Duchamp said of this work that it was ‘playing with a metre.’ It involved dropping a metre-long piece of string onto a canvas from a 1 metre height on 3 different occasions, allowing it to twist naturally in space. It was glued onto each canvas, just as it fell, then the canvas cut to the shape of the string, and created a new ‘ruler’ or template which was still 1 metre long but a different shape to normal. What can we say about this work in terms of its aesthetics; and is this important? 3 Standard Stoppages, 1913-14

5. Gender-bending and iconoclasm ‘Iconoclasm’ means to break down the things that are generally agreed to be sacred. The initials in the name of this work are a pun, which Duchamp often used. When these initials are read out in French , it sounds like ‘she has a hot arse’. (It possibly refers to Da Vinci’s being gay.) This work is somewhat amusing to us now, but 100 years ago it would have been read very differently. L.H.O.O.Q, print of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa altered with pencil, 1919, 19 x 12cm >>>>>>

6. Man Ray (U.S. 1890 – 1976), photograph Of RroseSelavy, 1921. Long before Dame Edna Everage, Duchamp created a second identity for himself, ‘Rrose Selavy’, which is a pun on ‘Eros, c’est la vie’, (meaning, Eros, that is life.) (Eros is the life-force according to Freud. We call things ‘erotic’ meaning sexual, but the world Eros means more than simply sex. It is life.) He even had Selavy ‘sign’ some of his artworks. This acted to bring into question the idea of authorship. Andy Warhol and other post-modernists would work on this idea of authorship and originality later in the century. (Feminist artists working collaboratively challenged this idea of individual authorship, too.)

7. Duchamp had this ampoule made for his friend and patron, Walter Arensberg. Ampoules stored various medicines in Pharmacies. It originally held some kind of medicine, and Duchamp got the pharmacist in Paris to empty it, then re-seal it – this had the effect of sealing in the air of the city. However in 1949 it was accidentally broken and then repaired – no longer, obviously, holding the air of Paris but then, of New York!!! 50cc of Paris Air, 1919, broken in America and repaired 1949

8. As we saw with Bicycle Wheel, Duchamp had an ongoing interest in circular motion, and how to depict or describe it. He conducted experiments with rotating, off-centre circles and what effect they had on the viewer. When it is plugged in and rotating, the circles appear to come out towards the viewer. Again, this is a ‘sculpture’ of sorts, more properly a machine to create visual effects. It is called a kinetic sculpture and involves the dimension of timeto create the work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MpcOWSoFOc Rotary Demisphere, (Precision Optics), 1925. Painted papier-mâché demisphere fitted on velvet-covered disk, copper collar with plexiglass dome, motor, pulley, and metal stand, 148.6 x 64.2 x 60.9 cm

9. Q 1: How has the artist integrated form and surface decoration in this artwork? Examining the Exam….short answer question (This is an example of a Question 1 in an HSC Exam. It is worth 5 marks and the suggested time is about 10 minutes.) Plate 1: Esther Ngala Kennedy, Aranda Central Australia, Eenpinpa (Honeyeaters), 1998, handcoiled terracotta, underglazes, height 23 cm.