Duchamp's Piece example essay topic

333 words
In February of 1917, The Society of Independent Artists in New York City, held an open exhibition. Marcel Duchamp's Fountain was one of the main pieces exhibited. This main piece of art presented was a urinal mounted on its side. Duchamp chose not to sign the piece with his real name. Instead he signed the piece under an alias or fictitious character, "R. Mutt" or Richard Mutt, said maybe to have been a cartoon strip of the time. Fountain was rejected from the "open exhibition" without anyone knowing that it was the work of Marcel Duchamp.

Duchamp even commented on the piece stating, "Whether Mr. Mutt with his own hands made the fountain or not has no importance, he chose it". Being received as an offensive joke at the exhibit, Duchamp took the piece back to the studio of Alfred Stieglitz, where it would be photographed. Duchamp later stated in an interview that, "The only works of art America has given are her plumbing and her bridges". The original then disappeared as did almost all of the "original readymade's" of Duchamp.

Duchamp's piece was not appreciated when first shown in that exhibit in 1917. Part of me agrees that with that verdict for a number of reasons. The first being that these "fountains" or "urinals" as they seem were already created at this time and he did now more than slightly alter the shape and the position is which it is placed. No depth or creativity is really understood when first analyzing this piece and neither does it attract ones eye. However, the reason why I particularly am not jumping to this conclusion is because that is how much of art was first interpreted. It was not until later after understand the motives and ideas behind the artists work that one can truly appreciate it I would not be one to be able to fairy judge his work..