Duchamp, Fountain, 1917 It’s a urinal. Literally a urinal.   The American Society of Independent Critics fancy themselves pretty egalitarian (their slogan is ‘no judge no jury’). In theory, they will display anything by any artist for a nominal fee of $6. He tests this by submitting this urinal with a synonym (R. Mutt). Low and behold, the jury rejected it – Duchamp was actually part of the jury.  Founded a fake newspaper called the Blind Man; anonymously wrote a letter defending his ready mades in the second to last issue.  Asserts that the object is not important, but the idea is.

Duchamp, Fountain, 1917

  • It’s a urinal. Literally a urinal.  
  • The American Society of Independent Critics fancy themselves pretty egalitarian (their slogan is ‘no judge no jury’). In theory, they will display anything by any artist for a nominal fee of $6. He tests this by submitting this urinal with a synonym (R. Mutt). Low and behold, the jury rejected it – Duchamp was actually part of the jury. 
  • Founded a fake newspaper called the Blind Man; anonymously wrote a letter defending his ready mades in the second to last issue. 
  • Asserts that the object is not important, but the idea is.
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artwhat.

during my first ever survey of western art class, my professor explained the difference between historians and art historians. historians, she said, were interested in old things. art historians, on the other hand, were interested in old things of quality. you don't hang garbage up on the walls of a museum; it has to be substantial and it has to mean something. so here you go; old things, made mostly by dudes long dead, of debatable degrees of quality but always with a constant level of importance. think of this as a deck of flash cards... sans the whole cards part.

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