Most influential piece of modern art- Duchamp's Urinal

[miss.myra]

I thought this was really interesting...Duchamp did a lot of crazy art that wasn't really considered by many 'art', but it definitely made heads roll earlier this century..

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/eu...nal/index.html

World's best art piece? A urinal
Thursday, December 2, 2004 Posted: 1242 GMT (2042 HKT)



Duchamp's urinal beat out works by Picasso, Warhol and Matisse.



LONDON, England -- It may seem like toilet humor, but a porcelain urinal -- signed by an artist almost 90 years ago -- has been voted the most influential work of modern art.

"Fountain" -- an ordinary white porcelain urinal, slightly titled and bearing the autograph of French surrealist Marcel Duchamp -- beat out works by such icons as Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol in a survey of 500 leaders of the art world.

Duchamp's piece, which shocked critics when it was unveiled in 1917, was selected ahead of Picasso's "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" and "Guernica" -- chosen second and fourth, respectively -- as the most influential work of art.

Warhol's screen prints of Marilyn Monroe came third in the poll, with Henri Matisse's "The Red Studio" placing fifth.

The survey was conducted by Gordon's Gin, which sponsors the Turner Prize, Britain's leading art award.

"The choice of Duchamp's Fountain as the most influential work of modern art ahead of works by Picasso and Matisse comes as a bit of a shock," art expert Simon Wilson told the UK's Press Association.

"But it reflects the dynamic nature of art today and the idea that the creative process that goes into a work of art is the most important thing. The work itself can be made of anything and can take any form."

Duchamp pioneered the use of everyday objects as art. His ideas shocked the art establishment but sparked a revolution that has influenced many contemporary artists.

Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin -- both recipients of the Turner Prize -- have similarly shocked and challenged the art world with their recent works using ordinary objects.

The winner of this year's Turner Prize will be announced Tuesday.

[dapimpstress]

This piece came to the SAm (Sea Art Museum) a little while ago, i totally remember it. It's oddly interesting. haha. and funny.

[miss.myra]

I want to go to that museum Ashes, is it worth the daytrip to go there?

[dapimpstress]

DUDE totally. the museum is fuckin awesome... 4 or 5 floors, all diff stuff, it's really cool. If u come down I'll take u ther and a couple-a other really tight galleries near by. I work like 3 blocks from there.

[Psycho_Laughs]

is it modern art though?

wouldn't it be considered more in the circle of post modern?

art periods always confuse the hell out of me.

[Rytalin]

The most influential piece of art in the 20th century is a fucking urinal?



come on.

[miss.myra]

Originally Posted by Rytalin

The most influential piece of art in the 20th century is a fucking urinal?



come on.

1. It was "modern" art

2. Your reaction was why.

[zarlon]

haha myra bravo.

too true.

[djmarkpaul]

Garbage, if there was shit in the urinal, then it might be slightly more thought prevoking.

I'm going to get a white piece of paper and draw a line on it, and then the line will swiggle a bit at the end. OMG I'm an artist.

This is the kind of shit that turns people into Hitler.

[*STARFISH*]

haha thats great!
i love duchamp
fountain and lhooq have to be 2 of my fav works

myra, the seattle gallery is awesome!!
we should try to organize a day trip out :)

[sidekick]

Originally Posted by djmarkpaul

This is the kind of shit that turns people into Hitler.

pardon?

myra: i think we should go on a date soon to this seattle art gallery.

[trance4life]

Originally Posted by Rytalin

The most influential piece of art in the 20th century is a fucking urinal?



come on.

thats what i was thinking

[Senior]

This has Simpsons fodder written all over it!

[djmarkpaul]

Originally Posted by Sidekick

pardon?

I'm not surprised you know nothing about Hitler besides what you've been indoctrinated to believe in highschool and all those WW2 war films.

I'm not saying he was an angel, he let lots of evil shit happen. But I do regard his youth before he went mad quite fondly, and his vision of what art should be is really beautiful. In short, he thought art should reflect nature, sacred geometry and architecture somewhat, but mostly natural settings of animals, landscapes and so on with pristine artsmanship. Modern art, and post modern art becoming popular infuriated him because it disassociates the human being from nature, and he had every right to be pissed off with his failures as an art student IMHO.

Henceforth, modern art and pomo creates artists into madman like Hitler.

***

Anyone feeling inspired by a urinal, you don't need to go to a museum to do that. Just go to a public washroom, hell, you can even watch them things flush too! Amazing!

[dapimpstress]

There IS more too it than the urinal itself you know.

And i disagree with you. I think art is MANY more things than "mostly natural settings of animals, landscapes and so on with pristine artsmanship."

That is only ONE type of art that you speak of. There are so many more, and some cannot be compared to eachother, perhaps this is one of those situations. Many people cannot identify with or see any meaning in modern art. Others think it is much more meaningful than a painting of a deer or piece of fruit. It simply is art, because art causes controversy, and provokes thought.

My conclusion, art cannot be defined by it's medium or content, Art is something that induces a change in thought pattern, creates a reaction, or has an affect on its viewing audience.

[djmarkpaul]

Originally Posted by Ashes

There IS more too it than the urinal itself you know.

And i disagree with you. I think art is MANY more things than "mostly natural settings of animals, landscapes and so on with pristine artsmanship."

That is only ONE type of art that you speak of. There are so many more, and some cannot be compared to eachother, perhaps this is one of those situations. Many people cannot identify with or see any meaning in modern art. Others think it is much more meaningful than a painting of a deer or piece of fruit. It simply is art, because art causes controversy, and provokes thought.

My conclusion, art cannot be defined by it's medium or content, Art is something that induces a change in thought pattern, creates a reaction, or has an affect on its viewing audience.

You want art, fine, check this out:











"i=we"










Pretty neat huh? I can hang that up in a museum now and charge like fifty grand for it ok?


I do agree with your defintion of art for the most part. I don't have to like it all however. I would have no problem people enjoying such crap if it wasn't so expensive. Anybody want to get a quote on how expensive this urinal is?

I can go to a public washroom with a sledge hammer, take one out, autograph it and voila! I wonder why there should be such a difference in value between the two pieces, hmmmm, maybe because people are idiots? If Duchamp's Urinal was only slightly more expensive then a real urinal then I'd have no problem with this as an art piece, but indulge me Ashes, you said there's more to it than just the urinal, well then what is it?

So anyone want to tell me how much this monstrosity is worth?

[miss.myra]

Markpaul: shuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut up.

and don't give me bad karma, jerk.

[Senior]

Originally Posted by miss.myra

Markpaul: shuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut up.

and don't give me bad karma, jerk.

Usually I don't agree with Mark on much of anything but in this instance I have to say he's right. There's nothing deep or artistic about an autographed urinal. Maybe it would be significant in the context of a whole show but not on it's own.

P.S. I could care less how much art work sells for I think that has nothing to do with the artistic merrit of the piece.

[miss.myra]

Do you even agree withthe hitler talk? please tell me you don't.

[miss.myra]

ps- it's not the 'best' piece, it's the most 'influential'

pps- the whole idea of modern art is redefining what the fuck art is

[djmarkpaul]

Originally Posted by miss.myra

Markpaul: shuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut up.

and don't give me bad karma, jerk.

I'm sorry. I just realized why you like this piece so much, it really compliments your taste.

[dapimpstress]

Originally Posted by Senior

P.S. I could care less how much art work sells for I think that has nothing to do with the artistic merrit of the piece.

exactly what my reply to markpaul woulda been, jus because they wanna charge u up the hoo-hah doesn't mean its art. that isnt why i think the urinal is art.

[dapimpstress]

yes the most influential.. thats def key.. its not saying hey look this is the best damn piece of art we ever seen, they are saying hey, look at this piece, this piece has really begun to change and shape the way ppl think about this type of art, you can see that it has had major effects by look at A,B,C.. yadda yadda.

[miss.myra]

Originally Posted by djmarkpaul

I'm sorry. I just realized why you like this piece so much, it really compliments your taste.

I never said I liked the piece

I thought it was interesting it was chosen.

Now continue shuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuutting uuuuuuuuuuuuuup

[dapimpstress]

Originally Posted by Sidekick

myra: i think we should go on a date soon to this seattle art gallery.

i think we should have an FNK meetup at the SAM.