One could say that Marcel Duchamp is one of the most influential artists of all time. He has inspired many modern artists with his groundbreaking pieces of work. One of his most famous works of art of his is known as “The Fountain.” The controversial piece and other works of this famous artist has inspired five artists who are interviewed in The Duchamp Effect and how his work has affected their own.
The first artist in the interview is Bruce Conner. Mr. Conner is a leader of the assemblages movement where he uses items in his work such as dolls, fur, jewelry and even broken bicycle wheels. In the interview, Mr. Conner looks at Duchamp as an artist that is not easily understood but one who deserves the utmost respect. He describes growing up and first seeing Duchamp’s work and the first time he had the opportunity to collaberate with him. Conner’s stated he was too bashful to approach Duchamp with his ideas so it did not go as planned. Mr. Conner’s seemed like a little kid meeting his idol for the first time. In the interview it is easy to see that Duchamp is one of the most respected artists and has very much influenced Bruce Conner and helped inspire his many pieces of artwork.
The second artist to be interviewed was Sherrie Levine. Ms. Levine is known for her photography as well as a bronze urinal which was inspired by Marcel Duchamp’s. In the interview she describes what she accomplished when she moved to New York. What was her first big step forward was literally her work with shoes. She recreated a pair of shoes just like she recreated Duchamp’s urinal. The interview with Ms. Levine shows how she was greatly influenced by Marcel Duchamp’s work. He left a legacy that Sherrie Levine used for inspiration for her work to which she became a very successful artist.
The next artist to be interviewed was Louise Lawler. Ms. Lawler is known for her photography and creates her work by taking pictures of others artwork and showing the way it is viewed. She is a fan of pop art and believes that although Duchamp is an inspiration to many, there are other artists and their works that are inspirational as well. She also describes taking photograph’s of Duchamp’s work and how it gives his pieces a completely different angle of how to view his work. Ms. Lawler believes Marcel Duchamp is an artist who has left many skeptical when viewing his work but there are so many different ways to view his work that it is possible to find a way to connect with it.
The fourth artist interviewed is Fred Wilson who is known for his work as an artist as well as a curator. Although he considers himself a conceptual artist, he believes he does most of his work visually. He would bring things into the museum that most would not expect to find in a gallery or museum because they don’t consider them to normally be art. The interview clearly shows how Mr. Wilson was influenced by Duchamp’s work for Duchamp was very controversial in what he brought into museums and called art as well such as “The Fountain.”
Each of these artists have clearly been inspired by Marcel Duchamp’s work. He was a pioneer for artists to think outside the box and be unconventional. Duchamp has left the legacy behind to not be traditional and create artwork that makes people think and not go to a gallery or museum just to look at paintings and sculptures but rather make them surprised and wanting to see more.
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