Duchamp Essay

Kristen Chervony

Modern AH

Prof. Kachur

Duchamp Essay

Duchamp is the creator of the Dadaism movement and is associated with cubism and conceptual art.  He believes that his work of art is to break up forms and decompose them much along the lines that the cubists had done.  However, his paintings went further beyond geometric shapes and planes and were far more metaphysical.  He rejected the comparison of Dadaism to be originated from cubism or futurism because Dadaism was more of an abstract thought process.  Duchamp thought older art was animalistic and less intellectual.  He believed previous art movements were influenced by one’s immediate atmosphere such as landmarks.  Duchamp believes there is more to painting cliché landmarks and not being a slave to just environmental art.  Dadaism is very beneficial to more progressive style of painting besides the direct interpretations that artists can perceive.  He believes there is more to the mind than artists can see and he wants his art to reflect the more obscure.

Duchamp gives examples of this idea by discussing his interests and influences. Duchamp was inspired by Picabia because he was very intelligent than most of our contemporaries, which was a very important aspect in regards to Dadaism.  It was important because no thought of anything beyond the physical side of painting was understood of and no notion of freedom was taught from a philosophical outlook was introduced.  Duchamp also admired Brisset and Roussel for their delirium of imagination.  Brisset’s writings took a direction where art was more of intellectual expression rather than “animal expression,” which was new and exciting.  He also appreciated Roussel for producing work that has never been seen and was completely independent.  He was inspired by his poetry from a philology and philosophy standpoint.  All of Duchamp’s influences helped him create Dadaism that he feels was an autonomous movement.