Is it Art???
A look at Three Ground-breaking, “Unusual”, Extraordinary,
works of art that challenge the conventional
definition of What is Art???…
In 1915, Marcel Duchamp, exhibited in New York City, the first
ever “Ready Made”; a term given to common everyday objects
that were newly appointed to be fine art…They were “already made”
items that were given NEW “meaning”. So, by taking a simple wood
and galvanized iron American snow shovel, Duchamp created…
“In Advance of a Broken Arm”
1915-Marcel Duchamp
In 1915, Duchamp turned the art world onto it’s ear with this
unusual artwork… Nobody had ever attempted to show this
type of artwork before—extremely non-traditional for this time
period… What do you think? ….
Is It Art???
Original, Nov. 1915
"Please note that I didn't want to make a work of art out of [Bicycle Wheel]. The word 'Readymade' didnot appear until 1915, when I went to the United States. It was an interesting word, but when I put a bicyclewheel on a stool, the fork down, there was no idea of a 'readymade,' or anything else. It was just a distraction.I didn't have any special reason to do it, or any intention of showing it, or describing anything. No nothinglike that..." (Cabanne 47).
And so the Bicycle Wheel was not intended to be a remarkable piece of art, but rather a personalexperiment. However, just because the initial idea behind it wasn't art-oriented doesn't mean that Duchampdidn't whole-heartedly embrace the wonderful uproar and contradictions it later acquired when becomingdesignated as art.
Original Version: 1913, Paris LOST
Art pictured here is a replica circa 1963
bicycle fork and wheel screwedupside down onto stool painted whiteassisted readymadeno dimensions recorded
In 1965, Joseph Kosuth, created a piece of art that was more mentally stimulating
than fabricated… The piece features a physical chair, a photograph of that chair,and the text of a dictionary definition of the word "chair". All three representationsare merely physical abstractions of the one true idea of the chair, thus the piece isboth the three physical representations of a chair, and the one universal notion of achair…
“One and Three Chairs”
1965-Joseph Kosuth
This type of art has become known as “Conceptual Art”—That is the “intellectual property” and the IDEA behind theartwork is what gives it value. Again, very advanced andbizarre for the mid 1900’s. So, again, what do you think? ….
Is It Art???
Lot Description Joseph Kosuth (B. 1945) One andThree Coats photograph, leather coat and Photostatmounted on board, in three parts photograph: 61 x 323/8 in. (155 x 82 cm.) coat: 53 1/8 x 15. Executed in1965. (3)
'Glass Words Material Described',19654 sheets of glass, painted text,
glass: 48 x 48 x 1/2 inches
Five Words In Green Neon
1965Green neon, transformeroverall: 4 1/2 x 88 1/4 inches
In 1943, Pablo Picasso, having already proven himself to be a skilled painter andthinker created a piece of sculpture that also seemed clever but odd. Taking abicycle seat and handle bars Picasso created…
“Bull’s Head”
1943-Pablo Picasso
Creating a very contemporary type of art work for the time,Picasso added to his perceived innovative genius status bycreating a sculpture that has become known as an“Assemblage”– These artworks take materials not originallyintended to be used for art and transforms it into art….So, onemore time…What do you think? ….
Is It Art???
Goat Skull, Bottle and Candle1951-1953
Woman in Green1943
