What is Art?

What is Art?

“A urinal displaced and called art, this Readymade has caused much controversy ever since the fateful day in 1917 when it was refused entry to an art show priding itself as being open to all. Rotated and signed with the pseudonym "R. Mutt 1917" on its upper side, Fountain isn't merely one of Duchamp's Readymades. It has become a recognizable icon in the history of modern art.” (Fountain, 2004)

I thoroughly enjoy this whole fiasco! Even the name of the artist – “R or Richard, Mutt “ is humorous. We will never know why Marcel Duchamp chose this name as he was renowned for leg  pulling . His explanations  do not hold water – e.g. he claimed that “Mutt” was from the company that made the urinals –J.L. Mott  i.e.  a high class urinal -  although in reality the urinal was a low class type actually used in prisons

Personally, I can understand the visitors who were hostile to Duchamp’s idea of exhibiting a “readymade” as a piece of art but I also think that this has inspired other artists to use “readymades” to recycle everyday objects and turn them into art. On the one hand Marcel Duchamp did not use any labour to make the urinal into a piece of art but on the other hand by simply signing it, he was poking fun a the whole concept of art and asking people to question what they understood art to be.  This changes the way that you look at art and I am always trying to find everyday objects and think how I can turn them into art.  

Reference List

Fountain available at  http://www.toutfait.com/unmaking_the_museum/fountain.html  (Accessed 23 April 2012)