Duchamp as a Pioneer of Ready-Mades - Coursework Example

Ready-mades Task one Ready-mades have been associated with Marcel Duchamp, who belonged to the Dada movement from the 1916 to the 1920s. Duchamp recognized that mass production had resulted in numerous objects that were similar. In his effort to destroy the uniqueness of objects in art, Duchamp created ready-mades. The first ready-made was the bicycle wheel, which was an experimentation with the new concept. In order to develop the ready-mades, Duchamp focused on identifying manufactured objects and then embarked on a modification procedure. In some cases, Duchamp only repositioned the objects chosen and signed them. For many people, the ready-mades represented the extreme form of minimalism because the artists did not have any direct interaction with the work (Antliff 57). Worth noting is the fact that ready-mades applied some of the aspects of surrealism, an art movement developed by Andre Breton. Conceptual Understanding of Ready-mades and the Associated Art Movements The term ready-made emerged from the United States in references to manufactured goods. The term was used in to distinguish the manufactured good from those made by hand. However, Duchamp defined ready-mades in art as ordinary objects chosen by an artist and modified to a level of having the dignity of artwork. The most important concept was that the artist had specifically selected the object under modification. Duchamp’s ready-mades were based on visual indifference. Therefore, he used them to express humour, ambiguity, and irony. He was also specific to highlight that through ready-mades, he intended to get away from himself. Ready-mades can be categorized into different levels. Andre Breton played a critical role in defining the concept of Duchamp by highlighting that ready-mades needed the artists to elevate the dignity of a normal object. Notably, Breton also linked ready-mades to surrealism, which focussed on the juxtapositioning of images as an artist expressed the creativity in the unconscious mind (Antliff 57). Andre Breton is one of the artists who responded to Duchamp’s ready-mades. Breton receives the recognition for developing the surrealist art movement in the 1920s. According to him, surrealism served the need for artists to embrace a new form of expression in which the subconscious mind played critical roles in determining the works of an artist. According to Breton, previous artists had focused on the conscious mind in the development of their arts. However, Breton developed a new concept. Breton was impressed with Duchamp’s ready-mades because Duchamp had rejected retinal art and focused on conceptual art. Breton’s first description of ready-mades appeared in a text in 1922. However, his definition gained popularity several years later. In the view of Breton, a ready-made represented a chosen object in everyday life promoted to a different level of dignity by an artist (Iversen 47). Breton carried out a surrealist analysis of the ready-mades developed by Duchamp. Breton recognized that Duchamp had adopted a new style and concept in the development of his ready-mades. Therefore, in 1933, Breton accepted Duchamp’s ready-mades as influential works under surrealism. Interestingly, Duchamp has associated himself with the Dada movement, which was conceived in 1916. The founders of the Dada movement believed that art was an opportunity for them to represent their true perception of things and criticized the era they were living in. Members of the Dada movement did not focus on aesthetic art. Duchamp has been categorized as the epitome of the Dada movement. His venture into non-art led to the production of the ready-mades (Milevska 27). The emergence of the popular art in the 1960s introduced new concepts. Pop artists sought to celebrate everyday objects, as well as people observed in everyday life. Therefore, the purpose of popular art was to dignify popular culture to become a critical part of fine art. There is a close association between the concepts developed by popular artists and the concepts governing ready-mades. Evidently, both popular art and ready-mades seek to dignify common objects into fine art works. Pop artists did not give attention to romanticism supporting the views of Duchamp of conceptual art (Antliff 59). The term ready-made denoted objects that did not undergo any form of alterations. However, other categories included assisted ready-mades, rectified ready-mades, corrected ready-mades, and reciprocal ready-mades. Some of the unaltered objects made by Duchamp included the bottle rack in 1914, the comb in 1916, travellers folding item in 1916, a fountain in 1917, and trap in 1917. Duchamp also made assisted ready-mades such as the bicycle wheel in 1913, with hidden noise in 1916, unhappy ready-made in 1919, and why not sneeze, Rose Selavy in 1921. Rectified ready-mades made by Duchamp included pharmacy in 1914, apolinere enameled in 1916 to 1917, and wanted, $ 2000 reward in 1923 (Charles 68). Relationship between Ready-made and Still Life in Art Still life denotes works of art, especially drawings or paintings that depict objects. The fact that objects do not have the capacity to exhibit motion motivated the use of the word “still”. In the history of still life, flowers, fruits, plants, and dead animals are the objects that qualified to be referred to as still life. However, in the contemporary era, other objects may qualify as still life. Still life painting emerged in the 1600s specifically in the Netherlands. However, the development of still life over the centuries proved to be very slow. For a long time, the term still life denoted large paintings that depicted either flowers or animals. Unfortunately, the genre of still life painting was considered as one of the lowest levels of art. Therefore, it became highly marginalized. Still life art has been described as artworks that lack the voice of the artist. Other critics argue that still life art does not have the gaze evident in other forms of art. Without the gaze, the objects depicted in the painting maintain their individual identity. Some of the objects depicted may have been modified, but the painting does not depict any voice from the artist. Still life art enables the audience to imagine what the world would be like without the presence of human beings. It also takes an individual back to a period when objects existed without the presence of human beings. A close analysis of the definition given to ready-mades and still life indicates that there is an existing relationship. The ready-mades created by Duchamp represented still life sculptures in the Dada movement (Iversen 53). Proposal for the Exhibition In preparation for the exhibition, I will identify plastic bottles that I will use in the development of a ready-made. The ready-made will have still life characteristics with no evidence of the artist’s voice. Notably, I will make efforts to developing a three-dimensional ready-made using the ideas from Duchamp. The still life that I will create will have a meaning. According to the views of Duchamp, it is possible to elevate the dignity of ordinary objects produced in different industries to become artistic works that represent a certain philosophy. The main purpose of my project will be to demonstrate the existing relationship between ready-mades and still life. Depending on the materials that will be available, I will create a still life artwork that will have distinctive characteristics and that can influence the debate on the art show. Task Two According to the views of Duchamp, many artists had given the focus on retinal art whose main objective was to please the eye. Although his concepts were considered an extreme form of minimalism, Duchamp sought to shift from retinal art to conceptual art. In his view, ready-mades were antidotes to retinal art. Evidently, some critics highlighted that ready-mades represented nonsense and were none arts. However, a close analysis of ready-mades and still life reveals that they have the potential to communicate the intentions of the artist. When Duchamp began developing ready-mades, he selected utilitarian objects, redesigned them, and dignified them as art. His main purpose was to create artworks that would require the functioning of the mind in interpreting the concepts. His works received increasing criticisms because the idea was completely new (Milevska 27). Duchamp also shifted the focus of art from the aesthetic value of a conceptual form of art. There was an increased debate on whether aesthetic qualities of art were still relevant. Duchamp sought to challenge the artistic production models that existed. He was well aware that he could use ready-mades to communicate his ideas about science. In addition, he communicated other intentions, such as mathematics, logic, art, and presented a consumer critic. During a time when the world was overwhelmed by manufactured goods, Duchamp relied on his ready-mades to critic the consumer patterns that had emerged. Evident from his juxtapositioning of the objects, Duchamp communicated his intentions clearly. For example, the juxtapositioning could reveal his irony as well as humour. For example, the bicycle wheel was the first ready-made that he created. According to the categorizations described above, the bicycle wheel falls under the assisted ready-mades. Duchamp explored the juxtapositioning of a bicycle wheel on a kitchen tool. Although this ready-made has received criticism from across the globe, it qualifies as conceptual art because it involves the mind. One will have to use the mental capacities in order to understand what Duchamp was trying to communicate (Roberts 2). Most importantly, Duchamp sought to use ready-mades in an effort to communicate experiences. A close analysis of the role of still life reveals that still life can be used to preserve memories of experiences. As long as an artist has the capacity to identify a given object and recontextualize it to suit a different concept away from its daily use, then it serves to communicate an experience. Worth noting is the fact that Duchamp’s ideas have remained influential over the years. Many contemporary artists have exhibited some of the ideas that Duchamp believed in when he created the ready-mades. Emerging artists have employed the concepts of ready-mades and still lifes in the development of modern art. The artworks require the audience to immerse themselves into them in order to understand the concepts communicated. The role of ready-mades in contemporary art is to ensure that the audience can be actively engaged registering higher levels of meaning and significance (Iversen 48). In addition, ready-mades and still life represent a form of art that is subversive. They represent a shift from the established order of retinal art described by Duchamp as pleasing the eye only. They are more effective in presenting critics of mass culture, communicating experiences, as well as expressing irony and humour. Supporters of still life painting or landscapes have highlighted that each object represented in the painting has a special meaning. The meaning may have cultural, religious, societal, philosophical, or personal aspects. Therefore, still life art encourages the viewer to reflect actively on the objects represented and the themes that the artist sought to depict. In addition, the artist may choose to use a variety a variety of visual elements such as colour and lighting in an effort to evoke certain emotions. These factors make it evident that still life art has the capacity to communicate intentions (Charles 70). When ready-mades and still life art are displayed in an art show, the audience should be more willing to indulge in a deep reflection on the underlying meaning depending on the collections of objects included by the artist. Conclusion Evidently, Duchamp is recognized as the pioneer of ready-mades from 1914 to 1920s. Notably, he sought to shift from the retinal art promoted by other artists to conceptual art that would involve the mental capacities of the audience. Duchamp created his ready-mades by elevating the dignity of normal objects and recontextualizing them. His main purpose was to communicate experiences by juxtapositioning the objects differently. On the other hand, still art has existed since the 1600s. However, due to increased criticism, still art did not register the expected growth over the years. However, ready-mades have influenced the concepts of developing still life. Both ready-mades and still life are more conceptual art forms contrary to the usual retinal art. Work Cited Antliff, Allan. "The Making And Mauling Of Marcel Duchamps Ready-Made." Canadian Art 23.1 (2006): 56-61. Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 11 Apr. 2015. Charles, Victoria. Still Life. New York: Parkstone International, 2011. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 11 Apr. 2015. Iversen, Margaret. "Readymade, Found Object, Photograph." Art Journal 63.2 (2004): 45-57. Humanities International Complete. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. Milevska, Suzana. "The Ready-Made and The Question Of The Fabrication Of Objects And Subjects." Afterimage 28.4 (2001): 27. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. Roberts, Sean 1. "Significant Objects: The Spell Of Still Life." CAA Reviews (College Art Association) (2014): 1-4. Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 11 Apr. 2015. Read More