Reading Response to Duchamp

Marcel Duchamp was an innovative man. While reading this article/essay I knew exactly why we had to read it. It relates so much to the class because Marcel Duchamp was a catalyst in the art world, altering as well as creating the definition of art and essentially the way art functions in daily life. In his lifetime, Duchamp managed to combine art and life rather than juxtapose them which thus allowed the patterns and impulsiveness, tools and uniqueness of lifestyles to be brought to the attention of the public. Duchamp enabled people to start thinking and questioning traditional ideas that never had been before. He also credited the thoughts and ideas he conjured in them by reinforcing his philosophy that the spectator's participation is equally crucial as the artist's and "perhaps in the long run even greater for...it is posterity that makes the masterpiece." The essay is relative to the class yet. It talks about how Duchamp was the idol or a growing cult. This reminded me of the work we've been doing such as posting things online and writing truth & fiction stories on the Daily Nexus website. What we're doing is putting ourselves out there, like Duchamp did, to be recognized and "followed". Everyone does it, just think about Facebook - people are just striving for acknowledgement.