The Influence of DuChamp and His Impact on Modern Fountain Decor

by todd harmon

In 1917, Marcel DuChamp sent shockwaves throughout the “fine art” world when he unveiled what is today perhaps his most famous piece: “Fountain.” This piece, the first of DuChamp’s many “Ready-mades,” changed the way that many people viewed art, and allowed for a far more open interpretation of artistry and beauty. No longer would “art” be confined to ornate statues or paintings: “art” could now be found in ideas, philosophies, and the intellectual acrobatics of the beholder. Because, if you were only going to make a surface assessment of “Fountain,” you would really only be able to say one thing about it: it’s a urinal.
//

Marcel DuChamp's "Fountain," 1917 (image courtesy sfmoma.org)

DuChamp, an accomplished artist in the technical sense, wanted to really question “art.” He did not like the idea that art could be confined to paints and marble. He wanted to test art, push it to the limits, to encompass not just what the social elites viewed as “beautiful” but also the most mundane objects, so long as we could brush past our prejudices and see things for their own artistic merits. “Fountain” was conceptual art. It was beautiful because it forced viewers to question and sometimes change their interpretations of “beauty.” DuChamp’s piece heavily influenced anti-artists, post modern artists, and free-thinkers for decades after the release of “Fountain.” His influence can be seen in the works of Warhol and Pollock, and his ideas are reflected in the literature of Joyce, Beckett, and Vonnegut.

Even today, many home designers will add to their décor with their own “fountains.” These are not urinals, however, but real wall fountains with artistic backdrops and unorthodox designs. With modern water fountains, the water itself is the work of “art.” Truly this is something that DuChamp would agree with.

For more information on fountains, whether they are indoor home fountains or famous fountains of the world, check out Fountaincrafters.com!