RP284 But Is It Art

 RP284 But Is It Art?

Some of his major pieces have been rejected from art shows. Some of them, including a urinal called Fountain, are still reviled today. Many of his pieces are simply objects he found and slightly modified. Marcel Duchamp's art challenges us to define "art."

As a student, Duchamp studied Post-Impressionist, modern ways of painting, including Cubism, Fauvism, and other emerging styles. Some of his early paintings aligned with these styles. However, even early in his career, Duchamp pushed the boundaries of academic art. Nude Descending a Staircase No. 2 (1912), a Cubist-style painting of a broken and reassembled figure, was rejected by Cubists. They found the title too literal, the subject matter too unlikely. This painting is now considered a modern classic.

By the age of 26, Duchamp was tired of "retinal art"—art that is geared solely toward the eye. He wanted to engage his viewers' imaginations. He largely stopped painting, and he began creating other art objects. These were his challenge to the art world.

L.H.O.O.Q is one challenge. One of his readymades—found objects he modified and displayed as art—L.H.O.O.Q., is a postcard printed with the Mona Lisa. Duchamps drew a beard and mustache on her. The joke is continued with the name of the piece. The letters, in French, sound like the phrase "She has a hot ass."

One of his masterpieces is The Large Glass. It's made from two large, shattered glass panels. The figures in it are made of lead foil, wire, and even dust. One figure is alone on the top panel, while several others below seem to be operating a complicated machine. Some critics interpret it as a comic encounter between a woman and her suitors.

Like it or not, Duchamp's work has made a huge impact on art today. With his insistence on humor, intellect, and imagination, he took art from our eyes alone and gave it to our minds.