In much of his work there was an underlying humor. Often subtle and sometimes not subtle at all he liked to poke fun. How did this knit into what he was doing as an artist and what does it tell us about what was and what was not important to him?
I think his humor is key to understanding Duchamp. But it's a very odd sense of humor. A lot of indulgent puns, dry wit, and absurdities. I think that humor may be a tool for Duchamp to get us past our hangups about definitions and preconceptions of art, science, and social systems, etc.
16 miles of string comes to mind here. As I remember it his work made it impossible for anyone to see any of the other works in the show. This is something most artist would be furious about. Why could Duchamp get away with this?
I think his humor is key to understanding Duchamp. But it's a very odd sense of humor. A lot of indulgent puns, dry wit, and absurdities. I think that humor may be a tool for Duchamp to get us past our hangups about definitions and preconceptions of art, science, and social systems, etc.
ReplyDelete-Martin Fox
16 miles of string comes to mind here. As I remember it his work made it impossible for anyone to see any of the other works in the show. This is something most artist would be furious about. Why could Duchamp get away with this?
ReplyDeleteTim Loraditch