Midterm pt II

Marcel Duchamp was a French artist who was part of the Dadaist and Surrealist movements. He was a controversial artist whose artwork challenged traditional beliefs about artistic society and what art can be. The notions of what can and should be considered art is effected the art community. “The Duchamp Effect” is a collection of interviews by Martha Buskirk and Elizabeth Armstrong. They interview five different artists on how Duchamp’s work effected their own work and style.
The first artist interviewed by Elizabeth Armstrong was Bruce Conner. The way that Bruce Conner was influenced by Duchamp was through the way that the viewer was forced to question art and what art represented. Conner said that it wasn’t about whether you did understand what his pieces meant but if you could. This kind of questioning is what makes Duchamp so controversial and opened inquiry into what is art. Bruce Conner also takes notes that he himself didn’t sign anything he made while Duchamp signed things that he didn’t make. This influence an idea he had about making a rubber stamp that he would use to sign his works as well as other peoples works and random objects. This brings up an interest question. If some random object is signed is that considered a piece of art? Such as Duchamp did with his piece “Fountain”.

Marcel Duchamp "Fountain"

The idea that a normal object brought into a gallery setting becomes art, is a concept that Duchamp championed. This concept was discussed in Martha Buskirk’s interview of Sherrie Levine. One of her first works was entitled “Black Shoes”. The work was just a pair of black shoes based off of a pair of ordinary black shoes. Sherrie Levine continued the trend that Duchamp began of using ordinary or readymade objects. Another piece she made using a readymade object was “Chimera: After a Broken Leg” which was a plywood splint placed in the gallery setting. The idea of readymade objects becoming part of the artistic community is one example of Duchamp’s effect on artists like Sherrie Levine.
The next artist interviewed by Martha Buskirk was Louise Lawler. His impression of Duchamp’s influence on art was the way art should be less restrictive. In the interview he talks about one of his works that was intended to bring up the issues involved with the Helms amendment. This kind of political inspired art is art that is not restrictive. Traditional art wouldn’t allow for such controversial and political art.
The next artist interviewed by Martha Buskirk was Fred Wilson. The influence that Duchamp had on Wilson was the question of how art should be displayed. Wilson discusses how the space in which art is displayed is in some ways an art in itself. Wilson talks about how he likes display art in a way that will surprise the viewers.
The last artist interviewed by Elizibeth Armstrong was Ed Ruscha. His impression of the effect of Duchamp’s work was the revolution away from the traditions of painting. Ruscha describes that in a time where the tradition was using paints, Duchamp was using new mediums. Duchamp was the first artist to use a electric motor to add motion to art. It was this kind of new revolution in median that Ruscha credits Duchamp with.
Each artist interviewed all describes ways that Duchamp and his artwork had on influencing the art community. Each artist took on different elements of Duchamp’s effect, which shows the scoop of how he had an effect on artists and the art community.