Making Sense of Marcel Duchamp

August 7, 2007 2:22 PM

Making Sense of Marcel Duchamp - an animated timeline of the artist's life and works.
posted by Burhanistan (19 comments total)

!pots tsum pmahcuD fo nuf gnikam sihT
posted by R. Mutt at 2:34 PM on August 7, 2007

This is not a post about Magritte.
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:07 PM on August 7, 2007

I always considered him a bit of a prankster and pure conceptualist until I saw a replica of the Large Glass in person. It's breathtaking.
posted by mr_roboto at 3:33 PM on August 7, 2007

Oh! And there's an annotated an animated version of it buried in the flash in the FPP link. I wish I could link to it...
posted by mr_roboto at 3:36 PM on August 7, 2007

Hey, this is really cool. Nice use of flash, nice interface. Good find, Burhanistan.

I'm a huge Duchamp fan.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:46 PM on August 7, 2007

~stares at the print of Chocolate Grinder hanging on his kitchen wall and smiles~
Count me in the camp of Duchamp fans. Anything that aims to bring his work greater exposure is a-ok with me. There isn't much that happened in art later that didn't owe an enormous debt to Duchamp. Either directly or conceptually.

And, yeah, the Large Glass is simply stunning.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:05 PM on August 7, 2007

Spoiler alert: the end of the timeline shows the interior of Etant Donnes. Duchamp wanted you to go to Philly and peek through the peephole.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 4:07 PM on August 7, 2007

And, yeah, the Large Glass is simply stunning.

The work that I find most interesting is:

Given:
1) The waterfall
2) The illuminating gas

I've only ever seen photographs of it, but one day I'll make my way to Philadelphia and see the real thing.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 4:10 PM on August 7, 2007

Bit of a double, but it's worth seeing again on its own.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 4:23 PM on August 7, 2007

I had the great good fortune of getting to meet him and talk with him for a while at a reception following the opening his retrospective at the Pasadena Art Museum. Most of the people there were wealthy supporters of the museum who were doing their civic duty but who knew little about art. So I spotted Duchamp standing alone at one point of the evening. I walkd up to him, introduced myself and we started chatting. We ended up sitting together on a sopha discussing cigars. He had a penchant for thos little thin, I think, Brazilian stogies. and I was keen on a similar but different variety. I had heard that he didn't like to talk about art so I didn't raise the subject. But it was a memorable evening for me if not for him. One doesn't often get to hobnob with one of one's folk heroes.
posted by donfactor at 4:31 PM on August 7, 2007 [1 favorite]

I forgot to add, many thanks, Burhanistan, for this marvelous find. It is one of the rare websites that I expect to explore and enjoy again many times
posted by donfactor at 4:50 PM on August 7, 2007

Donfactor, I'm jealous. I wish I could say I'd had a chat with Duchamp over skinny cigars.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:58 PM on August 7, 2007

Etant donnes is my favorite, favorite thing at the art museum. It's an awesome little secret hiding in a corner. I must admit that I've always found it vaguely disturbing, though. Probably because it reminds me of the corpse in River's Edge.
posted by jrossi4r at 5:46 PM on August 7, 2007

*sigh*
posted by Wonderwoman at 6:10 PM on August 7, 2007

Marvelous site, thanks Burhanistan!
posted by madamjujujive at 7:04 PM on August 7, 2007

Have always loved Duchamp but why would anyone want to make sense of him? Time would better be spent not making sense of him.
posted by memexikon at 7:14 PM on August 7, 2007

Who needs dada when quantum zaum will conquer the world?
posted by memexikon at 7:46 PM on August 7, 2007

this is great. thanks! even if it is a double.
posted by es_de_bah at 8:28 PM on August 7, 2007

fabulous. enjoyed it alot.

thanks.
posted by Espoo2 at 7:53 PM on August 8, 2007