Marcel Duchamp

Marcel Duchamp (July 28, 1887-October 2, 1968) was born in Normandy, France. Along with Duchamp, his siblings loved sculpture and paintings as well. Duchamp loved experimenting with numerous trends including Dadaism and Surrealism. He was considered an author, painter, sculptor, pretty much the all-around artist. When his work was noticed in America, he decided to move to the United States, residing in New York, which is where he was involved in the Dada.

In 1919, Duchamp produced one of his controversial parodies named L.H.O.O.Q. This particular painting was a supposed postcard imitation of the Mona Lisa; however, Mona Lisa has a moustache and goatee, courtesy of Duchamp. It is said that the meaning of L.H.O.O.Q is "She is hot in the a**." "The version Duchamp and his friends brought to New York was full of sarcasm and wit, but free of overt political and social criticism. L.H.O.O.Q flouted contemporary, cultural, and artistic conventions, but with humor, not anger." (www.understandingduchamp.com).

During his time in the Dada, he made the decision to stop painting and began making "ready-mades" or everyday objects. One of his well known "ready-mades," the urinal, ironically named Fountain. With "ready-mades," Duchamp was proving that seeing was a physically creative process as well as a psychological one. The "ready-mades" were supposed to arouse the minds of the beholders instead of the eyes. He felt that on-lookers were just looking with the eye and not the mind, and "not seeing things as thoroughly or accurately as we might suppose." (Sayre).

In producing his works, Duchamp could have been thinking that even the most commonly used objects in everyday could be considered art and they could have a meaning. He also could have thinking that art does not have to be the usual painting or portrait or sculpture. He wanted his art to be considered original, and find art in unusual objects no others would figure to be art. He wanted his art to make people use their imagination, as well as their sense of humor.

Duchamp's pieces are not beautiful or appealing, nor are they supposed to be, in my opinion. They were created the ways they were on purpose. Duchamp's work reflects himself. He was a genius, in many ways, a witty and comical man, and his work was considered humorous. He did not want his art to "predictable,"