In Search of Duchamp... (Part 3)
In 1917, Marcel Duchamp created Fountain, pronouncing a standard ceramic urinal as his own work of sculpture. Duchamp submitted Fountain to an exhibit held by the Society of Independent Artists, New York. The board members could not agree on whether this was in fact "art," and the piece was not exhibited.
Duchamp's use of readymades not only introduced a new concept, he opened the flood gates for a whole new medium. Use of found objects, as they've come to be known, brings materials or objects into a gallery that were not made by the artist. This act may or may not alter the object, but the object's function becomes purely aesthetic.
Shown here, are artworks from the 2013 Armory Show. In Parts 1 and 2 of this piece, I discuss Duchamp's impact on the 1913 Armory show. The readymade objects in Part 3 have no direct reference to Duchamp, yet they serve as evidence of Duchamp's permanent impact on the art world. I think that's pretty remarkable.