Duchamp's Fountain

One of Duchamp’s most famous and controversial pieces
It is a model urinal bought from J.L. Mott Iron works. Duchamp turned it 90 degrees from it original position such that the side which is suppose to face the wall now functions as the base. It was signed R. Mutt 1917.

Duchamp was the director of the American society of Independent artists. He sent the fountain in under a fake name and the piece got rejected by the committee

However, an anonymous author defended the fountain as an art piece in The Blind Man (An art journal published by Duchamp). He equated his “art” with artwork of both the Virgin Mary, and Buddha. The shadows cast on the urinal gave the illusion of a veil on it, much like the Virgin would wear. Also, all three images have the same general outline shape.

see http://myweb.wit.edu/sheas/EP/Work/MarcelDuchampsFountain.pdf

Controversies. (Points to think about)

Duchamp never gave an explanation for the Fountain. Some said it was just to test the impartiality of the committee. According to the rules, the piece can be exhibited.

Authorship: It was not manufactured by the artist. It was a piece of plumbing taken from a company. Can it then be considered art?

Identity and nature of art (a.k.a. What is art?): When you put the urinal in the art museum, are you transforming it into an art piece or the museum into a lavatory?

Sources:
http://arthist.binghamton.edu/duchamp/fountain.html
http://www.artscienceresearchlab.org/articles/betacourt.htm

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