Duchamp's Fountain: The Designer Behind the Readymade
Camille Morineau's essay in art press (February 2003) investigates the overlooked relationship between art and design, using Marcel Duchamp's Fountain (1917) as a starting point. She argues that the urinal, signed 'R. Mutt', was not an anonymous found object but a product designed by the Mott company, a high-end bathroom fixture manufacturer. This revelation challenges the readymade's myth of authorless origin and opens a genealogy of designed objects in art. Morineau surveys contemporary artists who engage with furniture and design, including Richard Artschwager, Robert Gober, Mona Hatoum, Jorge Pardo, Rirkrit Tiravanija, and Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster. She notes the historical convergence of art and design in the 1960s, citing Claes Oldenburg's Bedroom Ensemble (1964) alongside Archigram's Plug-in-City manifesto and the opening of Habitat. The essay explores shared networks, production modes, and the questioning of use. It references exhibitions such as 'Against Design' (ICA Philadelphia, 2000) and 'What If' (Moderna Museet, Stockholm, 2000), and interviews with figures like Christine Colin, Laurent Le Bon, and Martin Szekely. Morineau concludes that the designed object in art becomes a 'savage' object, carrying utopian potential that the readymade had rendered problematic.
Key facts
- Duchamp's Fountain (1917) was signed 'R. Mutt', referencing the Mott company, a bathroom fixture manufacturer.
- The essay argues that the urinal was designed, not merely found, challenging the readymade's anonymity.
- Camille Morineau is a conservator and art historian.
- The text surveys artists using furniture/design: Artschwager, Gober, Hatoum, Pardo, Tiravanija, Gonzalez-Foerster.
- Claes Oldenburg's Bedroom Ensemble (1964) is cited as a key work linking art and design.
- Exhibitions mentioned: 'Against Design' (2000), 'What If' (2000), 'Moins et Plus' (2002-2003), 'Nobody's perfect' (2002-2003).
- Interviews include Christine Colin, Laurent Le Bon, Martin Szekely, Didier Krzentowski, and others.
- The essay references Donald Judd's distinction between art and furniture design.
Entities
Artists
- Marcel Duchamp
- Richard Artschwager
- Robert Gober
- Mona Hatoum
- Jorge Pardo
- Rirkrit Tiravanija
- Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster
- Claes Oldenburg
- Franz West
- Nathalie Elemento
- Doris Salcedo
- Nina Saunders
- Maria Serebriakova
- Jan Vercruysse
- Joe Scanlan
- Angela Bulloch
- Andrea Blum
- Bob Wilson
- Ilya Kabakov
- Sylvie Fleury
- Mathieu Mercier
- Stéphane Calais
- Bertrand Lavier
- David Salle
- John Armleder
- Plamen Dejanov
- Swetlana Heger
- Damien Hirst
- Tobias Rehberger
- Pierre Huyghe
- Philippe Parreno
- Alain Bublex
- François Arnal
- Scott Burton
- Roy McMakin
- Ron Arad
- Mark Newson
- Gaetano Pesce
- Verner Panton
- Eero Aarnio
- Harry Bertoia
- Charles Eames
- Ray Eames
- Ronan Bouroullec
- Erwan Bouroullec
- Pierre Charpin
- Martin Szekely
- Andrea Zittel
- Christian Biecher
- Matali Crasset
- Philippe Million
- Laurent Massalou
- Elizabeth Garouste
- Mattia Bonetti
- François Morellet
- Théo van Doesburg
- Hans Arp
- Sophie Taeuber-Arp
- Donald Judd
- Dan Flavin
- Matthew Barney
- Liam Gillick
- Pae White
- Maria Lind
- Kirk Varnedoe
- William A. Camfield
- Eric de Chassey
- Patrick Javault
- Constance Rubini
- Thierry Chabanne
- Eric Troncy
Institutions
- art press
- Mott Company
- Marcel Duchamp
- Fountain
- Atelier A
- Meta-Memphis
- Galerie A/D
- Galerie Kreo
- Les Coopérateurs
- Galerie Chez Valentin
- Galerie Vallois
- Galerie Catherine Issert
- Galerie Gutharc
- Galerie Martine et Thibault de la Châtre
- Galerie Peyroulet
- Patricia Dorfman
- Fondation Cartier
- Palais de Tokyo
- MOCA Los Angeles
- Grand Hornu
- Musée d'art moderne de la Ville de Paris
- Musée d'art moderne de Saint-Étienne
- Musée des arts décoratifs Paris
- Centre Georges-Pompidou
- Villa Arson
- Dia Foundation
- K21 Düsseldorf
- Dresdner Bank
- Frac Nord-Pas-de-Calais
- Fnac
- CCI
- ICA Philadelphia
- Moderna Museet Stockholm
- Deichtorhallen Hamburg
- Ikon Gallery
- Fondation Beyeler
- Musée d'art moderne de Villeneuve d'Ascq
- Pavillon de l'Arsenal
- Hermès
- Ricard
- Phaidon
- Seuil
- Industries françaises de l'ameublement
- Stroom
- One Off
- Zerodisegno
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Strasbourg
- La Haye
- Netherlands
- New York
- United States
- Düsseldorf
- Germany
- Frankfurt
- Marseille
- Nice
- Los Angeles
- Seattle
- Stockholm
- Sweden
- Philadelphia
- Hamburg
- Bâle
- Switzerland
- Villeneuve d'Ascq
- Limoges
- Cologne
- Valence
- Las Palmas
- Séville
- London
- United Kingdom
- Brussels
- Belgium
- Zurich
- Houston
- Saint-Étienne
Sources
- artpress —