Marcel Duchamp was a pivotal figure who, in 1917, flipped the art world on its head with a simple urinal. His 'Fountain' marked a new era where skill and aesthetics were no longer the only measures of art's worth.
The Museum of Modern Art is celebrating this with their new exhibition, showcasing Duchamp’s multi-faceted genius: from his famous readymades to his intricate ‘Large Glass’.
Scholar Thierry de Duve, who has long grappled with his mixed feelings towards Duchamp, is thrilled by the show. He argues that while not a great painter, Duchamp was an incredibly intelligent craftsman, whose work paved the way for today’s post-medium art.
De Duve contends that the true revolution in art didn’t occur in the 1960s but much earlier, in the 1880s. Duchamp merely delivered the message of a new era where artists can explore any medium they choose.
This post-medium age sees installation and performance art as novel categories alongside traditional painting and sculpture. Without Duchamp, we might not have such diversity in artistic expression today.
