Back

Title: Fountain

Work: sculpture

Artist：Duchamp Marcel (1887 – 1968)

Work Date:  1917 , replica 1964

Materials: Porcelain

Style: Dadaism

Size：h 33.5 cm / 14 in

Collection: Indiana University Art Museum.

 Appreciation

This work is a replica of a porcelain urinal which was originally purchased by the artist in 1917 from a plumbing supply firm in New York.

Duchamp simply signed the object with the pseudonym R Mutt, then entered it for an art exhibition. The bizarre item exemplifies the notion of taking a commonplace object out of its customary setting and placing it in a new and unfamiliar one.

It was through this work that Duchamp first defined the concept of the ‘ready – make’ or ‘found object’ – an idea which has influenced countless artist since.

In defending the original sculpture in 1917 Duchamp challenged traditional preconceptions of what art is. He stated that it was not important whether or not ‘Mr Mutt’ had made the work with his own hands, what mattered was that he had chosen it. Therefore the creation was not important but the idea and selection was.

Dadaism works were characterized by a deliberate irrationality and the rejection of the prevailing standards of art. It influenced later movements including Surrealism.

Duchamp's "Fountain," since the original was lost thereafter, the photograph became the basis for the later replicas. Altogether fifteen authorised replicas of Fountain were issued.

It was attacked with hammer, the suspect attacked a replica of Marcel Duchamp's famous sculpture Fountain on display at the Dada exhibition at the Pompidou Centre in Paris.

Duchamp's Fountain was voted the most influential artwork of the 20th century by 500 selected British art world professionals.

About the Artist

Marcel Duchamp ( 1887 – 1968)， was a French artist whose work is most often associated with the Dadaist and Surrealist movements.

欣賞

1917年.藝術家馬歇爾·杜尚，在水暖公司買來一個陶瓷的小便池，隨便在上面上簽了個名字“R. Mutt”，然後以《噴泉》為題，送去畫廊展覽了。

一個慣常的用品，放在不是慣常擺放的場合。一個不雅的物品，榮登大雅之堂。它原有的用途意義消失了，而被重新定義，賦予新的名稱和概念。杜尚說:“Mutt先生是否親手製作了‘噴泉’，這並不重要，重要的是我選擇了它，創造了新的概念和想法。”

杜尚創造的新概念和新想法，就是“達達主義”，主要特徵是特意反傳統，反藝術，憤世嫉俗，追求無意識的即興。

杜尚的“噴泉”原作已於1917年遺失，可能被“不識貨”的畫廊管理人員當成垃圾扔掉了。然後，畫廊在1964年根據照片複製，目前一共有15件被授權的複製品。

2006年，一位高齡76歲的法國行為藝術家，憤世嫉俗不亞於小青年，手持鐵鎚將“噴泉”打破。事後他解釋說：“就是杜尚本人也會欣賞他的行為藝術的。”這真的很難說，不過，行為藝術家還是被逮捕，為自己的行為負了法律責任。

杜尚好像從來就沒有正經過，1905年，18歲的杜尚，為了逃兵役，裝模作樣的學版畫，結果學成了一位藝術家，還被美譽為是“現代藝術的守護者”。

在英國藝術世界展覽會上，500名英國最具影響力的權威人士，包括藝術家，商人，批評家，博物館，圖書館館長等，各路評價者以投票的方式評選20世紀最具影響的藝術品。結果，杜尚的藝術品《噴泉》，實際就是一個小便池，以64％選票，壓倒性的當選為上個世紀最具影響力的藝術品。

這件大逆不道的作品，跟人們開了個玩笑，嘲弄了高雅的藝術界，它確實太有影響力了。

正像皇帝的新衣這個童話，有位藝術界人士說了真話：“……如果一個人把馬糞粘在畫布上，我們也必須接受？”

本文筆者自是旁觀者清，“誰”粘的馬糞，才是關鍵。馬糞嘛，可以很香，也可以臭不可聞。像筆者這樣默默無聞的人，就是在畫布上粘金子也不會放光，還是放下筆歇歇吧。

關於藝術家

馬歇爾·杜尚( 1887 – 1968)，法國藝術家。是達達主義和超現實主義的代表人物。

作品名稱：噴泉

作品：雕塑

藝術家：馬歇爾·杜尚

創作日期:  1917, 1964年重新複製。

材料：陶瓷

風格：達達主義

尺寸：高14英寸

收藏：印第安納大學美術館，美國