The Fountain is a tipped urinal, signed “R. Mutt,” and is one of Duchamp’s most controversial pieces. Duchamp was one of the leading figures in the Dada movement, which uses sardonic artforms to comment on society—usually collages and ready-made art. The Dada movement began during WWI and was a direct reaction to the horrors of war.
Hans Arp, a German-French Dadaist, wrote of the movement:
“Revolted by the butchery of the 1914 World War, we in Zurich devoted ourselves to the arts. While the guns rumbled in the distance, we sang, painted, made collages, and wrote poems with all our might.”
To learn more about the Dada movement, see Resource 1.
The term “readymades” was coined by Marcel Duchamp to classify manufactured goods that were incorporated into his works of art.
Duchamp created Fountain in 1917 and submitted it to the Society of Independent Artists. It was not put on display. He argued that a piece of art is valuable based on the placement and context of the piece rather than the technical skill put into it.
To see more of Duchamp’s work, see Resource 2.
What is Dada Art?- National Galleries of Scotland
Dada art is one of the more controversial modern art movements. Watch this video to learn more about its origins and importance to the art world.
Bicycle Wheel- Eskenazi Museum of Art
Bicycle Wheel (Image A), originally made in 1913, was Duchamp’s first readymade piece of art. Air de Paris (Image B) is a vial of Parisian air gifted to Duchamp and turned into a readymade piece of art. Trap (Image C) is a rack that was nailed to the floor. Readymade art is largely made possible by mass-manufactured goods and industrialization.
What do these items say about the nature of art and the artistic process? Do you think that mass produced items could be considered art? Why or why not?
