Duchamp

Taschen Basic Art

by Janis Mink

When is a urinal no longer a urinal? When Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968) declared it to be art. The uproar that greeted the French artist’s Fountain (1917), a porcelain urinal installed in a gallery, sent shock waves through the art world establishment that reverberate right through to today. This essential introduction distills all the daring and the scandal of Duchamp’s practice into one essential overview not only of a pioneering creative but also of a critical moment in Western culture. From his groundbreaking blend of abstraction, Cubism, and Futurism in Nude Descending a Staircase (1912) to his forays into the now-iconic “readymades” such as Bicycle Wheel (1913) and Bottle Rack (1914) we explore how Duchamp consistently challenged the notion of what art is and, in so doing, opened up a world of conceptual possibilities beyond the “retinal” experience. About the series Born back in 1985, the Basic Art Series has evolved into the best-selling art book collection ever published. Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Art series features: a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance a concise biography approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Art History, France, Art Design, History, Reference

95 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1978

Reviews

[Margarita · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book focuses primarily on Duchamp's art, quite heavily between 1911-1917. It's not exactly clear how the book's organized - Neither by theme nor chronology. So, it's a bit messy in that regard. Although it doesn't get into much detail about his life or his later years as an artist, it's still a decent introductory read.

[Dylan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quotes:

Why Not Sneeze? (1921) was the kind of transitional object that channeled the hot air of Dada into the lungs of Surrealism, which was at that time just evolving.

Nude Descending a Staircase (No. 2) (1912) seemed to "Futurist" to the Cubists involved with the Salon des Independants, because it contained movement. The Cubists wanted to clarify and strengthen their position against other "isms" that were cropping up.
Duchamp responded to his withdrawal of his painting: "Well, if that's the way they want it, then there's no question about me joining a group; one can only count on oneself, one must be a loner."

Influenced by Raymond Roussel's Impressions of Africa

Kadinsky: "The artist seeks material rewards for his skill, his powers of invention and observation. His aim becomes the satisfaction of his own ambition and greed. Instead of a close collaboration among artists, there is a scramble for these rewards. There are complaints about competition and overproduction. Hatred, bias, factions, jealousy, and intrigue are the consequences of this purposeless, materialist art."

Louise Arensberg: "Duchamp was interested in finding new formulas with which to assault the tradition of the picture and of painting; despite the pitiless pessimism of his mind, he was personally delightful with his ironies. The attitude of abdicating everything, even himself, which he charmingly displayed between two drinks, his elaborate puns, his contempt for all values, even the sentimental, were not the least reason for the curiosity he aroused, and the attraction he exerted on men and women alike."

The readymades—Duchamp's elimination of the individual, handmade quality of art.

Strangely enough after all this, the original urinal was finally misplaced by Arensberg himself. Just like the Bicycle Wheel, the Bottle Rack, In Advance of the Broken Arm, and other readymades, it has since been replaced by replicas. The thought, not the object, was saved. [Perhaps this was on purpose to further illustrate the hypocrisies of artistic objects].

[Jean-luc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Duchamp approach to Art has been very complex, fluctuating and impredictable. This book does not really help getting a better insight. Good for getting the flavour of it, though.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breezy overview of the life and work of the genre spanning iconoclast.
Light analysis of the major works, with illustrations.
Not a lot of biographical detail, but as an introduction it's fine.

[Sebastian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Philadelphia trip on the horizon...why do fervent iconoclasts make for such good icons?

[Verity Beards-Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good and accessible brief overview of the key themes and questions surrounding Duchamp's work.

[Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fine book with lots of text as well as photos and illustrations about the artist and his work. If you want to introduce yourself to Duchamp, or vice versa, this may be the book to read.