Marcel Duchamp's 1961 prophecy on art's commodification resurfaces
The editorial revisits Marcel Duchamp's 1961 lecture at the Philadelphia Museum College of Art, warning that mass demand for art, driven by material and speculative values, leads to a dilution of quality and a leveling down of taste. Duchamp predicted a 'fog of mediocrity' and called for an ascetic revolution led by a few initiates, concluding that 'the great artist of tomorrow will go underground.' The text is cited from Bernard Marcadé's book 'Marcel Duchamp, la vie à crédit' (Flammarion). The editorial is published in the context of the Fiac art fair's positive reviews and upcoming New York auctions at Christie's, Phillips, and Sotheby's on November 13 and 14, 2007.
Key facts
- Marcel Duchamp gave a lecture at the Philadelphia Museum College of Art in 1961.
- Duchamp warned that mass demand for art leads to dilution of quality and mediocrity.
- He predicted a 'fog of mediocrity' and an ascetic revolution.
- The quote 'The great artist of tomorrow will go underground' is from that lecture.
- The lecture is cited in Bernard Marcadé's book 'Marcel Duchamp, la vie à crédit' (Flammarion).
- The editorial references the Fiac art fair's positive reviews.
- New York auctions at Christie's, Phillips, and Sotheby's are scheduled for November 13 and 14, 2007.
- The editorial was published in artpress in November 2007.
Entities
Artists
- Marcel Duchamp
Institutions
- Philadelphia Museum College of Art
- Christie's
- Phillips
- Sotheby's
- Flammarion
- artpress
Locations
- Philadelphia
- New York
Sources
- artpress —