Life of Marcel Duchamp - Essay Example

Rrose Slavy, Marcel Duchamp 1921. Photograph by Man Ray. CONTENT Marcel Duchamp 2 Relationship with Suzanne 2-3 Relationship with Man Ray 3 Readymades 3-4 Rrose Slavy 4-8 Conclusion 8-9 References 10 Marcel Duchamp The French/American artist Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968) is recognized by art historians as the greatest influence in 20th century art. He is mainly associated with the Dada and surrealist movements and his work had a considerable influence in the development of post-World War II Western art [N. Stangos]. This anarchic, controversial artist had very revolutionary views and maintained that art relates more to the artist's intentions than to anything he created with his hands or how he felt about beauty. It was thus that the avant-garde movement that defended concept and meaning over form was launched. Relationship with Suzanne As a child Duchamp was really close to his sister Suzanne (his older brothers had left home to go to school), who was his accomplice in games and activities. She was also the object of his first serious attempts (at the age of 14) at drawing and painting, which showed her in a variety of poses. Also a painter, she moved to Paris after her divorce to be closer to her brother Marcel and as an attempt to further her career, since at that time it was extremely difficult for a female painter to obtain recognition. Indeed, it was her relationship with her brothers, three of them eminent artists, which facilitated her acceptance in the art world. Relationship with Man Ray The famous photographer Man Ray became Duchamp's friend and collaborator. Not only he helped Duchamp photograph and "create" Rrose, he also was instrumental in the development of many other works. It was in collaboration with him and Marc Allgret in the period 1925-1926 that Duchamp filmed early versions of Rotoreliefs, a film that later became known as Anmic Cinma. It is worth mentioning an earlier collaboration in 1920, as it almost finished with the decapitation of Man Ray. Duchamp had built the Rotative plaque de verre (Rotary Glass Plates), a piece which involved the use of a motor to spin squares of glass on which segments of a circle were painted. The optical effect achieved is incredible: when the apparatus spins, the circle segments appear to be closed concentric circles. After a first successful attempt, Man Ray set up to photograph the experiment (Duchamp did not consider it art but it is held as one of the first examples of kinetic art) and, when the machine was turned on, a belt broke, caught a piece of the glass which flew off and hit Man Ray in the head. Readymades Marcel Duchamp coined the term "readymades", which was used to refer to ordinary manufactured objects that he selected, modified and signed. He maintained that by attributing a title to an object and signing it, the object becomes a work of art [smARThistory]. The term was commonly used in the United States to distinguish manufactured from handmade items. Marcel Duchamp conceived the readymades as an antidote to what he called "retinal art", this is, art that has only visual value. Duchamp selected his work according to their conceptual value and on the basis of visual indifference. In this manner, a common object would be elevated to the dignity of a work of art by the mere choice of the artist. In his lifetime, Duchamp-Selavy produced no more than 20 readymades. This decision arises from his awareness of the fact that, by limiting the production he could avoid the influence of his own taste (according to his words, "the enemy of art") in his work. Rrose Slavy From 1920, Marcel Duchamp decided to present some of his work using the pseudonym of Rrose Slavy. The choice of name is extravagant to say the least. Two potential explanations have been elaborated: the first one is that it reads as "Eros, c'est la vie", which can be translated as "Eros, that's life"; or, a second interpretation suggests that it really reads as "arroser la vie", i.e. to make a toast to life. Both meanings are equally valid as they refer to Marcel Duchamp's view of life. It is thus that Rrose becomes synonym with "joie de vivre" (the joy of life), eroticism and free thinking. Interestingly, Duchamp signs under Rrose's name a series of word games that, at times, were highly explicit. In fact, this work can be described as surprising, complex and playful. The surprise comes from the fact that the words are used in a way that does not follow logic. It is often the case that letters are misplaced or disappear, suggesting a new meaning [S. J. Gould]. The text is also complex, intricate, with multitude of double entendres and it is, above all, ingenious and joyous [M. Sanouillet and E. Peterson]. It is thus the work of his alter ego that allows him to explore sensuality and eroticism more openly and directly. At the same time, it also allowed him to take an interest in language (which he had described as "an error of humanity") and humor: "I have a lot of respect for humor, it's a kind of safety-net enabling us to pass through all mirrors". One of the first works presented under Rrose Slavy's name was the Fresh Widow, a French-style window mounted with black leather panels that he ordered were polished daily. It is perhaps for this reason that the title of the work was, in a very humorous play of words, distorted from the original French Window. This was followed by a multitude of other very diverse pieces [A. Castronuovo]. In 1921, Duchamp constructed Why not sneeze, Rrose Selavy by introducing a series of very disparate objects inside a birdcage. The items included a thermometer, a cuttlebone and 151 cubes crafted from marble in a manner so that they resembled sugar cubes. Referring to the sculpture, Duchamp stated: "It is a readymade in which the sugar is changed to marble. It is sort of a mythological effect". And, in fact, it is not until one tries to lift the cage that it becomes evident that it is much heavier than one would expect if they were made of sugar. He is believed to have asked his friends during visits to lift the cage so that he could test the effects of his deception. In 1934, Rrose Selavy even launched a book titled La Marie mise nu par ses clibataires, mme (The bride stripped bare by her bachelors, even; also known as Bote verte or Large Glass), which contained a series of reproductions and notes; and later on, in 1939, a series of pamphlets entitled Rrose Slavy. Why not sneeze, Rrose Slavy 1921 It is interesting to note that from 1921 the name of Rose changes to Rrose. This alteration is no mere whim, it is purposeful and it adds to the mystery of the newly created character: Rose is a new creature that grows and transforms, thus writing her own biography. Very early on Duchamp also gave Rrose Slavy an image. Aided by his friend the photographer Man Ray, Duchamp dressed himself in feminine attire and contributed to Rrose's biography by publishing this photograph in the New York Dada magazine. In choosing Man Ray, Duchamp selected one of the most famous photographers of art and glamour of the century. His contribution can be seen in the lighting and the sultry look that was so fashionable at the time. This earlier photograph (see front cover) was harsh, crude, showing Duchamp's masculine features (the long chin, the big nose) but, at the same time, frank, like the reticent confession of a secret. In photographs taken later on in the decade, Rrose becomes more attractive and stylish; the true Rrose has been found [J. Jones]. In the photograph, Rrose-Duchamp has a very distinguished, elegant look, but at the same time she appears indifferent and portrays an elusive expression, a feature shared with the famous Gioconda. This work of art by Leonardo da Vinci had already featured in Duchamp's work, when in 1919 had drawn a moustache over the Mona Lisa's face in a reproduction. The title of this open attack at traditional art and conformity is L.H.O.O.Q. What is perhaps more important and revealing with regards to this photograph is the dedication: "Lovingly, Rrose Slavy alias Marcel Duchamp". Here the author reveals her identity, acknowledges his creation of this character, which is a feminine duplication of himself, another creative independent personality that adds to the existing one without hiding anything. In a conversation with Pierre Cabanne, Duchamp admits "I wanted to change my identity and had the idea of taking a Hebrew name. I was a Catholic, and this new religion already meant a change. But I did not find any Hebrew name that I liked, or that struck my imagination, and I suddenly had an idea: why not change sex" [P. Cabanne]. Duchamp went as far as to create a visiting card for Rrose: Once again, there is a less serious, alternative way of reading the card: "oculiste" sounds like "au culiste" and it contains the word "cul", i.e. ass. This is a reference to Duchamp's L.H.O.O.Q., which when pronounced in French sounds like "elle a chaud au cul", i.e. she has a hot ass. It is thus that Slavy introduces herself as a specialist in precision ass and glass work. The whiskers are clearly a reference to the additions to the Mona Lisa and the kicks are a reminder from Duchamp that we should not examine, analyze or over-interpret his work [M. Sanouillet and E. Peterson]. Conclusion So why did Duchamp create Rrose Slavy The most obvious answer is to have fun. The written works he published using her name are a clear example of this. In them he is free to use his humor, irony, ingenuity and let lose the child in him. Rrose gives him the freedom to explore eroticism, sensuality and femininity through the use of language and plays of words. Similarly to the marble-sugar cubes in Why not sneeze Rrose Slavy, is the creation of Rrose Slavy perhaps another attempt at portraying something that is not and deceiving the public In any case, androgyny and gender deception are topics that Duchamp had already referred to in his L.H.O.O.Q. [J. Jones]. Alternatively, was Rrose Selavy another work of art Perhaps a life readymade As he acknowledged: "My intention was to get away from myself, though I knew perfectly well that I was using myself. Call it a little game between I and me". Additionally, the creation of Rrose helps Duchamp achieve something he very carefully avoided: repeating himself. Rrose Slavy facilitated his exploration of new paths of expression, creativity and inspiration. The choice of a female alter ego may somehow have been influenced by his sister Suzanne. As mentioned previously, his first artistic attempts had her as an object and it is possible that this choice was a tribute to her. Additionally, the society of the time and especially the art circles were very conservative, making it very difficult for a woman to pursue a career as an artist. Duchamp knew this well, as his sister Suzanne had struggled to be accepted as a painter. By choosing to present his art under a woman's name, Duchamp is making a statement against aspects of society, opposing traditional values and inciting social change. It is indeed an act of defiance and subversiveness that allowed him to explore art and creativity from a different point a view. Man Ray was a great friend and collaborator of Duchamp. Together they pursue many common interests and are believed to be the fathers of conceptual and performance art. In fact, together with Katherine Dreier, they founded Socit Anonyme, an itinerant collection which became effectively the first ever museum of modern art in the USA. Their careers ran parallel for many years and it can be said that Man Ray helped Duchamp create a personality for Rrose Slavy. References -A. Castronuovo. Rrose Slavy and the Erotic Gnosis. Tout-Fait, The Marcel Duchamp Studies Online Journal. http://www.toutfait.com/issues/volume2/issue_5/articles/castronuovo/castronuovo.html. Date created: 2003. Date last accessed: October 27, 2007. -P. Cabanne. Dialogues with Marcel Duchamp. New York, Viking Press, 1971; pp. 64-65. -S.J. Gould. The Substantial Ghost: towards a general exegesis of Duchamp's artful wordplays. Tout-Fait, The Marcel Duchamp Studies Online Journal. http://www.toutfait.com/duchamp.jsppostid=898&keyword=. Date created: May 2000. Date last accessed: October 26, 2007. -J. Jones. Rrose Slavy, Man Ray (1921). The Guardian Online (Saturday October 27, 2001). http://www.guardian.co.uk/surrealism/story/0,1339,581609,00.html. Date last accessed: October 28, 2007. -M. Sanouillet and E. Peterson. The Writings of Marcel Duchamp. New York, Da Capo Press, Inc., 1973.; pp. vi-vii. -smARThistory. Ducham and the Ready-Made. http://smarthistory.org/blog/62/duchamp-and-the-ready-made/. Date created: November 22, 2006. Date last accessed: October 26, 2007. -N. Stangos. Concepts of Modern Art. London, Thames and Hudson Ltd, 1990; pp. 256-258. Read More