Do you want to know something wacky? Did you know that a urinal helped completely change how we think about art in the 20th century?
That’s right: a urinal!
You might be giggling and scratching your head simultaneously if you are like me. If you are thinking, “How could a urinal change how we think about art when a urinal isn’t even art!” then keep reading to find out how a simple bathroom fixture in men’s restrooms altered how artists approached their art.
I remember when I was 19 years old and taking my first art history classes in college. Mind you, I only took the first one because I could wake up, roll out of bed in my pajamas, and walk across the street. Who knew that my desire to wear pajamas would change my life? As I sat in a warm, dark room with a professor talking about something I couldn’t recall, my eyelids drooped, and yawns were hard to stifle. But then he flashed a urinal on the screen! It snapped me back to attention. My first thought was, “Ew, gross,” followed quickly by “that’s not art.”
It all started in 1917 when a French artist named Marcel Duchamp decided he wanted to enter an exhibition where he could display his art in New York City. It was an exhibition crafted by the Society of Independent Artists, and Duchamp was a board member. The rules of the exhibition stated that anyone who submitted work would be included in the exhibition.
Duchamp decided he wanted to do something really unique—that’s when he found a urinal. He flipped it over and signed it with black paint using a different name—R. Mutt—and included the date of 1917. Duchamp explained later why he chose the name R. Mutt:
“Mutt comes from Mott Works, the name of a large sanitary equipment manufacturer. But Mott was too close so I altered it to Mutt, after the daily cartoon strip "Mutt and Jeff" which appeared at the time, and with which everyone was familiar.”
Clearly, Duchamp felt he was being clever and funny. It was a big deal then for him not to sign his work with his name so that people would know he made it. Duchamp was an accomplished artist who was well-known for his paintings at the time.
You can imagine the shock the urinal “sculpture” caused! The exhibition committee followed the rules and allowed it in the show, but they didn’t put it on display where people could see it. Duchamp wasn’t happy, and he resigned from the board.
What does it mean?
Now you know what’s even wackier? Well, some people see the urinal as a little sitting Buddha! Or maybe even a person wearing a white veil.
Now, you are probably still wondering, “How in the world did this change how we understand art?”
Well, it’s because Duchamp took an object that was so commonplace and used in everyday life, and he completely altered its meaning. He changed its function from something used in a bathroom to something we are supposed to appreciate for its beauty and form. It’s not a unique object, but it is mass-produced for many bathrooms. He also gave it a unique title—Fountain—like people usually do for artworks. Duchamp played with a long history of European art, where particular objects are held in great esteem, and artists are often revered. Think along the lines of Michelangelo or Monet. Usually, these artworks are unique, too.
Thinking about art and the readymade
Duchamp wanted us to really think about what art is—and what it can or could be. It has become the best example of something we call a readymade. A readymade is an object that is already made for another purpose but then someone decided to repurpose it—like taking a urinal and flipping it over and placing it on a pedestal (hopefully not a used urinal).
One of my favorite of his readymades is L.H.O.O.Q. from 1919. It parodies Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Duchamp acquired a reproduction and drew a mustache and goatee on top of the Renaissance portrait reproduction. The name he penciled in is a crude French pun (not very kid friendly). (Fun fact: a copy of Duchamp's image appears at Disneyland!)
Many people think that because Duchamp challenged how we think about art, his Fountain is the most influential artwork of the 20th century. Duchamp influenced many artists with his idea of readymades and with how we conceptualize what art is. For Duchamp, it is something to be played with.
Still thinking about Fountain
I remember leaving that art history class unsure if I loathed Fountain or thought it was the cleverest thing I ever saw. As a 19-year-old, he had me wondering about how art is defined and who decides what art is. That has to count for something. I still think about it often, decades later, and while I don’t enjoy looking at it, I like what Duchamp attempted to do with some humor.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about Duchamp a lot as I work on a new project that blurs boundaries between art, entertainment, kitsch, and play. Stay tuned for some fun updates about this project soon.
The most influential artwork?
What do you think about Duchamp’s Fountain? Is it worthy of its title as the most influential artwork of the 20th century?
Let me know!
P.S. My ability to wear pajamas has continued to play a significant role in my life!
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