Fountain 1917

The Dada movement flourished as a response to the inequalities of life. Artists expressed their feelings about violence, war, nationalism, and politics. I chose Marcel Duchamp's work Fountain -1917. This work is considered one of the most influential artworks of the 20th century. Marcel Duchamp submitted this piece to the Society of Independent Artists' salon in New York. The society claimed they would take any piece if the artist paid the fee. The society declined Duchamp's submission stating that it was not a true work of art. The piece is an upside down urinal with the signature "R. Mutt 1917." Some feel that it was a pseudonym or fake name. Theories claim the "R" stands for Richard a french slang term for money bags. While "Mutt" may be referring to JL Mott ironworks a New York company who manufactured the above porcelain urinal.  What I love about this piece is Duchamp's ability to take an everyday object and distort an onlookers view of it. The urinal was no longer something one finds in the bathroom but a fountain. He took the everyday bathroom staple off the wall and placed it on the table, defying the world's view of the object. Marcel Duchamp's submission of Fountain challenged the meaning of art.