Who? Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968), French artist, Dada

What? Bicycle Wheel, Bicycle wheel mounted on a painted wooden stool, (51 x 26 x 16 in)

When? 1913 (original)

Where is it now? The original was lost or destroyed. Duchamp recreated it in 1951. There are multiple versions of this work, one of which is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Why is this artist/artwork important?

-Duchamp was known for his association with the Dada and Surrealist movements, during which time artists questioned all the traditional ways of making and conceiving art. Duchamp developed an art form known as a ready-made. He took pre-existing ordinary (non-art) materials and put them together and called it art.

Background Information:

--Duchamp was born in France in 1887. His grandfather was a painter and the family encouraged the kids to study art. There were 6 children, four of whom became artists.

--Duchamp studied art in grade school and went to Paris in 1904 to continue training. His brother, Jacques, was already a successful painter in Paris and helped introduce Duchamp to many of the most innovative cultural figures of the time.

--Duchamp was interested in the work of cubist artists and began painting in a cubist style, showing figures from multiple perspectives (The Chess Players, 1911). His works were not well received. In 1913, he gave up painting.

--Duchamp emigrated to the US in 1915 and was at the center of a group of innovative modern artists working in New York.

--There were big changes in the art world during this period. In Europe, artists had begun a movement known as Dada. The movement began in 1916 and was a reaction to the destruction and upheavals of World War I. The term “DADA” was basically a nonsense word.

--Dada artists rejected the accepted standards of art making and questioned the purpose of art itself. Duchamp was not a member of the Dada group, but his art embraced many of the same ideas of the Dada movement.

-Bicycle Wheel is considered to be Duchamp’s first readymade. This was an invention of Duchamp aimed at challenging accepted artistic standards. To make a readymade, Duchamp selected mass-produced, functional objects from everyday life and called them works of art. These sculptures questioned the standards of art making, which relied on ideas of skill, uniqueness and beauty.

--For Duchamp, it was the artist who declared if an object was a work of art or not.

-This approach to making art was (and still is) extremely controversial.

Artist’s Quotes:

“I am interested in ideas, not merely in visual products.”

“I don’t believe in art, I believe in artists.”

Discussion Questions:

-What do you think of the idea of readymades as art? Can a pre-existing object be considered art? Why or why not?

-Why do you think Duchamp’s work was so controversial? Do you think other artists and art critics saw this work as threatening? Why or why not?

-Discuss the artist’s quote above. What is Duchamp saying? Discuss the notion of an “idea” as art? How is an idea different from a “visual product”?

--Many of Duchamp’s works are not “original.” The 1913 version of Bicycle Wheel was lost. There are 8 “replicas” of the work that were made under Duchamp’s direction. How do you think Duchamp felt about originals vs. replicas of his work? Do you think it matters with Duchamp’s art?

Project Idea:

1) Make your own DADA work or readymade. Bring in a box of random objects for the kids to turn into art. Some ideas include fork/spoon/plastic cup/paper plate or random used school supplies. Other required supplies: sharpie markers, index cards & pencil. Have the kids think of a concept for their object. They can sign and date the object with the Sharpie marker. Now, pretend the artwork will be submitted to a museum exhibition. On the index card, create an exhibition label containing the following information:

Artists’ name:

Title of work:

Date:

Explanation: (describe the concept or idea behind the work).

Additional resources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Duchamp www.moma.org/collection/works/81631

Comparative Images:

Portrait of Duchamp, 1920

In Advance of the Broken Arm, 1915 (original, replica shown here from 1964)

Fountain (1917)

Bottle Rack (1914)