I think Marcel Duchamp is a genius. I appreciate that he not only considers the spectator as part of the creative process, but also relies on their participation/interpretation to validate the artwork. Thus, the viewer is an integral part of the art making process. Although Marcel Duchamp had so many original ideas and profound thoughts, he really did not care whether people considered him an artist. This seems to be a trend among contemporary artists. This shift in self-perception as an artist sort of frightens me. Does this mean that I can only be great if I let go of the hope of becoming great? What’s plan B? Am I still allowed to strive to be an artist?
This reading made Duchamp sound like a really cool guy, someone I would want to be friends with. He was a peculiar person, but what artist isn’t? He “consistently helped promote the careers of other artists,” (62) who were also his friends. It seems like artists are constantly in competition with one another, and to help a fellow artist would mean furthering their success while hindering your own. Maybe we could all take a message from Duchamp and lighten up a little; make connections with our fellow artists; encourage each other. Because their success could mean your success, even if nobody planned to be successful in the first place.
 |
| Marcel Duchamp |
No comments:
Post a Comment