Notes

by Marcel Duchamp, Anne d'Harnoncourt (Preface)

Marcel Duchamp's position in the history of 20th century art is uncontested. He was the hidden master, the meticu-lous anti-artist whose denial of aesthetics and almost mystical irony coupled to form his definitively uncompleted masterpiece, The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (1915 - 1923). His works and ideas continue to baffle and inspire; his writings, primarily composed of notes intended to caption the ideas behind this work, are for this reason a cornerstone to modern art. Largely unknown to date, however, are his posthumously published Notes: a medley of intellectual clues, teasing enigmas, iconoclastic puns, as well as sketches for unrealized projects -- altogether, a crucial missing piece to Duchamp's writings. Far from offering simple answers to his visually realized works, Duchamp's notes instead open up new approaches. Like inner snapshots of his shrouded games, these notes offer glimpses into his Bride, further ideas concerning the fourth dimension, and a variety of perspectives on his appropriately witty obsession with the Infra-thin. As many of these notes had originally been discarded by Duchamp, we are also offered an intimate look at Duchamp's manner of working and thinking. The arrangement and translation of these notes is by Paul Matisse, friend and stepson to Duchamp; his sensitivity to Duchamp's thought and intentions makes this edition an especially valuable contribution to our understanding of this seminal artist's legacy. Marcel Duchamp (1887 - 1968) was, with Picasso, the most important artist of the 20th century. Father of conceptual art, he was also a bemused participant in the Dada and Surrealist movements, and -- via theinfamous display of his 1912 Nude Descending a Staircase at the Armory Show in New York -- the instigator of modernism in America.

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Marcel Duchamp (also known as Rrose Sélavy) was a French artist (he became an American citizen in 1955) whose work and ideas had considerable influence on the development of post-World War I Western art, and whose advice to modern art collectors helped shape the tastes of the Western art world.

While he is most often associated with Dada and Surrealism, his participation in Surrealism was largely behind the scenes, and after being involved in New York Dada, he barely participated in Paris Dada.

Thousands of books and articles attempt to interpret Duchamp's artwork and philosophy, but in interviews and his writing, Duchamp only added to the mystery. The interpretations interested him as creations of their own, and as reflections of the interpreter.

A playful man, Duchamp prodded thought about artistic processes and art marketing, not so much with words, but with actions such as dubbing a urinal "art" and naming it Fountain. He produced relatively few artworks as he quickly moved through the avant-garde rhythms of his time.

Reviews

[heyyonicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incroyable recueil de textes et dessins divisés en quatre grandes parties. Très inspirant et intriguant, la fascination qui entoure Duchamp ne peut qu'être amplifié par ses notes, qui nous rapproche de la personnalité de leur auteur et révèle toujours plus de profondeur et de secrets dans son oeuvre.