The Duchamp Dictionary

8/20/2016 The Duchamp Dictionary | AnOther
Art & Photography / In Pictures
The Duchamp Dictionary

— April 10, 2014 —
What did Duchamp stand for? We ﬁnd out with the help of Thomas Girst's
stunning new book.
http://www.anothermag.com/artphotography/3546/theduchampdictionary 1/21
The Duchamp Dictionary © 2014 Luke Frost and Therese Vandling
Text AnOther
’
It s arguable that Duchamp changed the world of art more than anyone else in
’
his lifetime. It s slightly more concrete to say that Duchamp changed the world
of art in the 20th century. Without Duchamp, urinals would still just be urinals
’
and we d have no idea how great the Mona Lisa would look with a beard. But
outside of the obvious, not a lot is known about this incredible man. In a new
book, The Duchamp Dictionary, Thomas Girst outlines all of Duchamp s ’

moments of genius, madness and the many things that came in between. Here,
’
through the very letters of the influential artist s name, we get to know the man
behind the art just a little bit better.
D is for Doubt
While Duchamp came to oppose the limitations of the overwhelmingly rational
and logical philosophy of René Descartes, the artist nevertheless referred to his
own “ Cartesian mind ” that “

refused to accept anything, doubted everything . ”
His perpetual questioning of himself and his work laid the foundation for
Duchamp as a game-changer, iconoclast and inventor. "It may be a great work of
his to have brought doubt into the air that surrounds art", the artist Jasper Johns
remarked about Duchamp. In fact, what Johns observed about artistic practice
also holds true for the larger picture, as Duchamp himself made clear: “ If one is
logical, one doubts the history of art. ”
U is for Unrealised Projects
As well as leaving the Large Glass (1915-23) unfinished, Duchamp left papers
containing a package with many notes that describe unrealized projects –“ take
one cubic centimeter of tobacco smoke and paint the exterior and the interior
surfaces a waterproof colour ” (smoking); “ buy or take known or unknown
paintings and sign then with the name of a known or unknown painter – the
‘ ’
difference between the style and the unexpected name for the experts is the ‘ ’
authentic work of Rrose Selavay (one of Duchamp s pseudonyms) and defies ’
forgeries ; ” “ make large sculptures in which the listener would be a centre – for
example an immense Venus di Milo made of sounds around the listener ; ” “ trace
’
a straight line on Rodin s The Kiss as seen from a sight. ”
C is for Chocolate
As far as we know, Duchamp loved chocolate. In his New York apartment there
were always chocolate bars on hs windowsill. While visiting his parents in
Rouen, Duchamp was fascinated by the ancient chocolate grinder in one of the
shop windows of the Chocolaterie E. Gamelin. Enthralled by the precision of
such a compex machine, the encounter proved “ a very important moment in my
life ” and became “a real point of departure ” for his future work.
"His perpetual questioning of himself and his work laid
the foundation for Duchamp as a game-changer,
iconoclast and inventor"
H is for Humour
“Humour and laughter – not necessarily derogatory derision – ”

are my pet tools ,
Duchamp said to Katherine Kuh in 1961. “ This may come from my general
philosophy of never taking the world too seriously – for fear of dying of
boredom. ” Duchamp said that humour was to be considered an “ absolute
condition ” within his work and life. It is both sophisticated and subversive in
that the artist consciously implements it to protect his works from the traps of
self-importance and prestige.
A is for An-Artist
“ ‘ ’ ’
I am against the word anti because it s a bit like atheist, as compared to
believer. And the atheist is just as much of a religious man as the believer is, and
an anti-artists is just as much of an artists as the other artist. An-artist would be
much better, if I could change it, instead of anti-artist. An-artist, meaning no
’
artist at all. That would be my conception. I don t mind being an an-artist. ”
Duchamps certainly did not mind the homophonic resemblance between an- ‘
‘
artist and anarchist either. ’
M is for Merde
‘ ’
Merde is the word he scrawled across the painting of a seated nude in 1911,
apparently unhappy with his achievement. More famous still is Duchamp s ’

well-known analogy, in one of his notes from the Box of 1914, “ arrhe is to art as
’ ‘ ’ ‘ ’ ‘
shitte is to shite , or arrhe divided by art = shite divided by shit . ’ ‘ ’”
P is for Posterity
“Artists who, in their own lifetime, have managed to get people to value their
junk are excellent traveling salesmen, but there is no guarantee as to the
”
immortality of their work , Duchamp said in a letter to his sister. “ And even
posterity is just a slut that conjures some away and brings others back to life …
retaining the right to change her mind every 50 years or so. ’
The Duchamp Dictionary by Thomas Girst and ilustrated by Luke Front and
Therese Vandling is available from Thames & Hudson.
Introduction by Rosie Neve
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8/20/2016 The Duchamp Dictionary | AnOther

Art & Photography / In Pictures

The Duchamp Dictionary © 2014 Luke Frost and Therese Vandling

book, The Duchamp Dictionary, Thomas Girst outlines all of Duchamp s ’

behind the art just a little bit better.

The Duchamp Dictionary © 2014 Luke Frost and Therese Vandling

While Duchamp came to oppose the limitations of the overwhelmingly rational

own “ Cartesian mind ” that “

Duchamp as a game-changer, iconoclast and inventor. "It may be a great work of

logical, one doubts the history of art. ”

The Duchamp Dictionary © 2014 Luke Frost and Therese Vandling

U is for Unrealised Projects

surfaces a waterproof colour ” (smoking); “ buy or take known or unknown

The Duchamp Dictionary © 2014 Luke Frost and Therese Vandling

were always chocolate bars on hs windowsill. While visiting his parents in

shop windows of the Chocolaterie E. Gamelin. Enthralled by the precision of

such a compex machine, the encounter proved “ a very important moment in my

"His perpetual questioning of himself and his work laid

the foundation for Duchamp as a game-changer,

iconoclast and inventor"

The Duchamp Dictionary © 2014 Luke Frost and Therese Vandling

“Humour and laughter – not necessarily derogatory derision – ”

boredom. ” Duchamp said that humour was to be considered an “ absolute

self-importance and prestige.

The Duchamp Dictionary © 2014 Luke Frost and Therese Vandling

an anti-artists is just as much of an artists as the other artist. An-artist would be

much better, if I could change it, instead of anti-artist. An-artist, meaning no

The Duchamp Dictionary © 2014 Luke Frost and Therese Vandling

apparently unhappy with his achievement. More famous still is Duchamp s ’

The Duchamp Dictionary © 2014 Luke Frost and Therese Vandling

junk are excellent traveling salesmen, but there is no guarantee as to the

Therese Vandling is available from Thames & Hudson.

Introduction by Rosie Neve

Subscribe to the AnOther Newsletters

enter your email

A Life Spent Capturing California's Modernist

More Art & Photography

Polly Brown Presents a Photo Study on Sex

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© 2009 - 2016 AnOther Publishing Ltd.

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