Not Just a Waste
Fountain, a porcelain urinal created in 1917, signed R. Mutt, was “made” by Marcel Duchamp (Howarth). The piece was aimed at the general public. Duchamp wanted to outrage the people and force them to question what art really was (Lewer 184). Even with these harsh circumstances, Duchamp still managed to become extremely important and influential to other Dada artists. Duchamp was one of the most famous Dada artists during his time and he coined the term “ready-made” which is essentially a mass produced item that is taken by an artist and repurposed or somehow modified. He wanted to create pieces that were anti-art and that were provocative enough to make people search for a deeper meaning. He wanted viewers to question if the …show more content…
He used such a black piece that any and all interpretations of the urinal were taken seriously and closely examined. The signature on the piece forces the viewer to look not only at the individual piece, but at art as a whole. Many people are given great praise for art that looks like it could have been done by a child. This has always, and will always, be a huge debate in the art world. The subject matter of Fountain makes it inherently offensive. Many people found it to be rude and vulgar, when all the artist wanted to do was make an eye catching and thought provoking piece. The technique that Duchamp used was brand new and original to him. He chose to take an item that was not hand created by the artist himself and slapped a signature on it and called it his. People were confused and did not know how to react. Most believed it to be an act of plagiarism. It was, however, all a ploy to stir up the media’s emotions and make people question their beliefs on what art really was. Duchamp wanted viewers to think about institutional art and all the common beliefs that are deeply rooted in art history 's past while they looked at Fountain. By doing this it is easier to see how modern art can be seen as a completely new genre. It does not rely on fancy techniques and exceptional realism. The piece is memorable and can withstand the test of time, which are the definite qualities of a true
Fountain, a porcelain urinal created in 1917, signed R. Mutt, was “made” by Marcel Duchamp (Howarth). The piece was aimed at the general public. Duchamp wanted to outrage the people and force them to question what art really was (Lewer 184). Even with these harsh circumstances, Duchamp still managed to become extremely important and influential to other Dada artists. Duchamp was one of the most famous Dada artists during his time and he coined the term “ready-made” which is essentially a mass produced item that is taken by an artist and repurposed or somehow modified. He wanted to create pieces that were anti-art and that were provocative enough to make people search for a deeper meaning. He wanted viewers to question if the …show more content…
He used such a black piece that any and all interpretations of the urinal were taken seriously and closely examined. The signature on the piece forces the viewer to look not only at the individual piece, but at art as a whole. Many people are given great praise for art that looks like it could have been done by a child. This has always, and will always, be a huge debate in the art world. The subject matter of Fountain makes it inherently offensive. Many people found it to be rude and vulgar, when all the artist wanted to do was make an eye catching and thought provoking piece. The technique that Duchamp used was brand new and original to him. He chose to take an item that was not hand created by the artist himself and slapped a signature on it and called it his. People were confused and did not know how to react. Most believed it to be an act of plagiarism. It was, however, all a ploy to stir up the media’s emotions and make people question their beliefs on what art really was. Duchamp wanted viewers to think about institutional art and all the common beliefs that are deeply rooted in art history 's past while they looked at Fountain. By doing this it is easier to see how modern art can be seen as a completely new genre. It does not rely on fancy techniques and exceptional realism. The piece is memorable and can withstand the test of time, which are the definite qualities of a true