See also:  [Classical Greece (?dates?)]
                  [Art Periods]
                  [Thomas Hovins ()] (Author "Art for dummy-s"; MOMA NY)

                  [Art History (index)]
                  [Time Line] (infinity made manifest)


The Parthenon



Chronology


On Readymades

Marcel Duchamp: Apropos of "Readymades"
Speech by Duchamp at the MOMA, 1961 October 19.

IN 1913 I HAD THE HAPPY IDEA TO FASTEN A BICYCLE WHEEL TO
A KITCHEN STOOL AND WATCH IT TURN.
    A FEW MONTHS LATER I BOUGHT A CHEAP REPORDUCTION
OF A WINTER EVENING LANDSCAPE, WHICH I CALLED 
"PHARMACY "AFTER ADDING TWO SMALL DOTS, ONE RED AND
ONE YELLOW, IN THE HORIZON.
    IN NEW YORK IN 1915 I BOUGHT AT A HARDWARE STORE A
SNOW SHOVEL ON WHICH I WROTE "IN ADVANCE OF THE 
BROKEN ARM".
    IT WAS AROUND THAT TIME THAT THE WORD "READYMADE"
CAME TO MIND TO DESIGNATE THIS FORM OF MANIFESTATION.
    A POINT WHICH I WANT VERFY MUCH TO ESTABLISH IS THAT
THE CHOICE OF THESE "READYMADES" WAS NEVER DICTATED
BY ESTHETIC DELECTATION.
    THIS CHOICE WAS BASED ON A REACTION OF VISUAL INDIF-
FERENCE WITH AT THE SAME TIME A TOTAL ABSENCE OF GOOD
OR BAD TASTS.  IN FACT A COMPLETE ANESTHESIA.  
     ONE IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC WAS THE SHORT SEN-
TENCE WHICH I OCCASIONALLY INSCRIBED ON THE "READY-
MADE".

    THAT SENTENCE INSTEAD OF DESCRIBING THE OBJECT LIKE
A TITLE WAS MEANT TO CARRY THE MIND OF THE SPECTATOR
TOWARDS OTHER REGIONS MORE VERBAL.
    SOMETIMES I WOULD ADD A GRAPHIC DETAIL OF PRESEN-
TATION WHICH IN ORDER TO SATISFY MY CRAVING FOR 
ALLITERATIONS, WOULD BE CALLED "READYMADE AIDED".
    AT ANOTHER TIME WANTING TO EXPOSE THE BASIC ANTI-
NOMY BETWEEN ART AND READYMADES I IMAGINED A "RECIP-
ROCAL READYMADE": USE A REMBRANDT AS AN IRONING 
BOARD!
    I REALISED VERY SOON THE DANGER OF REPEATINGB INDIS-
CRIMINATELY THIS FORM OF EXPRESSION AND DECIDED TO 
LIMIT THE PRODUCTION OF "READYMADES" TO A SMALL NUM-
BER YEARLY. I WAS AWARE AT THAT TIME, THAT FOR THE
SPECTATOR EVEN MORE THAN FOR THE ARTIST, ART IS A HABIT-
FORMING DRUG AND I WANTED TO PROTECT MY "READY-
MADES" AGAINST SUCH CONTAMINATION.
    ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE "READYMADE" IS ITS LACK OF
UNIQUENESS ... THE REPLICA OF A "READYMADE" DELIVERING
THE SAME MESSAGE; IN FACT NEARLY EVERY ONE OF THE 
"READYMADES" EXISTING TODAY IS NOT AN ORIGINAL IN THE
CONVENTIONAL SENSE.
     A FINAL REMARK TO THE EGOMANICAC'S DISCOURSE:
    SINCE THE TUBES OF PAINT USED BY THE ARTIST ARE
MANUFACTURED, AND READY MADE PRODUCTS WE MUST 
CONCLUDE THAT ALL THE PAINTINGS IN THE WORLD ARE
"READYMADES AIDED" AND ALSO WORKS OF ASSEMBLAGE.
--42--