Readymade Objects In Marcel Duchamp's Fountain

Marcel Duchamp was the pioneer of Dada, a 20th century art movement that questioned traditional assumptions of what art should be and how it should be constructed. This movement showcased the concept of “anti-art”. Duchamp created the artistic concept of “readymade,” declaring that anything an artists presents as art, is deemed as art. Duchamp and other Dada artists were known for their use of readymade objects that could be presented as art with minimal manipulation. In 1917, Duchamp created a piece titled “Fountain”, which was essentially a displaced urinal. Duchamp was an influential member of the art industry, as he continuously pushed the boundaries of the traditional definitions of “art”. Known for his readymade Dadaist pieces, people often questioned whether they could be considered true art. This ultimately made himself and his pieces iconic. “Fountain” by Marcel Duchamp is one of the most controversial works in the art

Mutt 1917”. After further analysis, one may realize this sculpture’s manufactured use was as a urinal - and it has never been considered anything other than this manufactured use. This displaced urinal that was believed to be art, turned into one of Duchamp’s classic readymade pieces that defied the preconceived notion that art had to be beautiful. One primary criteria of a readymade piece was to be “neutral”. This furthers the controversy over Duchamp’s piece, as a urinal is in no way neutral and has always been used by males in a normative way. This intimate use and nature of the urinal, as well as it is highly gendered character can be connected to gender normative issues of the time. The dispute whether “Fountain” can be considered art generates deep meaning as an iconic image shifting what the word art truly means. In a modern sense, we know it is art because of the discussions it