Marcel Duchamp was a French-American painter, sculptor and writer.
Many people think that he was one of the most important artists of the 20th century. His art influenced the development of Conceptualism and Dadaism. He challenged the way people thought about art.
Marcel Duchamp, Fountain. Photograph by Alfred Stieglitz. Captions read: “Fountain by R. Mutt, Photograph by Alfred Stieglitz, THE EXHIBIT REFUSED BY THE INDEPENDENTS.” 1917.
He was known for using found objects as art. He called these ready-mades.
Duchamp didn’t make a lot of artwork. He even pretended to stop making art to play chess, secretly making art the whole time!
“The creative act is not performed by the artist alone; the spectator brings the work in contact with the external world by deciphering and interpreting its inner qualifications and thus adds his contribution to the creative act.” – Marcel Duchamp