Marcel Duchamp 1917 – “Fountain”

“IT WAS UNEXPECTEDLY A RATHER BEAUTIFUL OBJECT IN ITS OWN RIGHT AND A BLINDINGLY BRILLIANT LOGICAL MOVE, CHECK-MATING ALL CONVENTIONAL IDEAS ABOUT ART. BUT IT WAS ALSO A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PRACTICAL JOKE.” “DUCHAMP HAS BEEN COMPARED TO LEONARDO DA VINCI, AS A PROFOUND PHILOSOPHER-ARTIST. BUT THERE IS ALSO A COMPARISON TO BE MADE WITH BUSTER KEATON, ANOTHER HANDSOME DEADPAN CLOWN WHOM DUCHAMP SOMEWHAT RESEMBLED. HE VALUED HUMOUR, TELLING A NEW YORK NEWSPAPER THAT, ‘PEOPLE TOOK MODERN ART VERY SERIOUSLY WHEN IT FIRST REACHED AMERICA BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED WE TOOK OURSELVES VERY SERIOUSLY. A GREAT DEAL OF MODERN ART IS MEANT TO BE AMUSING.’” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/3671180/Duchamps-Fountain-The-practical-joke-that-launched-an-artistic-revolution.html