Marcel Duchamp concept, ideas and methodologies

Marcel Duchamp's 'Fountain' 1917/1964, urinal made of sanitary porcelain, 61 x 48 x 36cm, Private collection.

"The work of art is always based on the two poles of the onlooker and the maker."

Duchamp's work raises doubts about aesthetic judgements questioning audience perception of art itself. I too am interested in working towards an aim to attempt to raise doubts about perception, with an alternative focus on observation and interaction within my city centre space. Duchamp originally drew inspiration from the cubist idea of simutanious different perspectives, relating to my explorations of how the public percieve and experience the juxtaposition of the natural and urban environment. The defining element of my intended interactive installation is the intergration of the natural environment into a typically man-made urban space. As described in the Andy Goldsworthy quotation posted as a starting point of our research, 'a city is nature too-the ground upon which it is built, the stone with which it is made.' My intention is to explore this idea by inviting willing members of the public to experience my installation as well as giving them the oppertunity to reflect upon their personal experience.

'Duchamp kept the focal point of meaning of his work deliberately vague, and invited the beholder/reader to take part in what are ultimately inconcludable reflections on the meaning of the work.'

Taking on board Duchamp's intentional methodical thinking behind how his work would be recieved, I am going to refrain from divulging detail regarding my intentions until after i have taken record of each participants uninfluenced reaction. I plan to simply introduce myself as an art student and invite people to take five minutes to sit in my installation space and listen to a recording that i have made . In order to fully inform participants and to recieve quality feedback, i will also have to explain that i would like to record a chat with them after the tape has finished just to gain a little insite into their thoughts and experience.

Marcel Duchamp's 'Fountain' lead me to consider the status of an object in its own right. I am looking to create an installation that will be enjoyable and inviting to my audience, and so i intend to use a ready-made, comfortable chair to immidiately suggest comfort and relaxation. As the chair stands unoccupied, it will hopefully act as an out of place/context attention grabbing object. Duchamp described this use of inanimate objects as:

'the simple idea of interrupting the use-flow of everyday things.'

My installation will be context dependant in that the perception, reflection and reaction will be built around the context of location and atmosphere in which the sounds and installation are being recieved. I cannot say that my work will be the constructed installation or the assemblement of the hand-crafted paper. The work itself cannot be truely documented, it must be Experienced. The closest thing you will have as documentation of my final realisation will be a pieced together recording of my audiences response and reactions.

"It's the viewers which make the pictures." (Marcel Duchamp)

Marzona, D. (2006) Conceptual Art.USA-Los Angeles:Taschen.