The artwork titled “Fountain” by Marcel Duchamp, created in 1917, is a seminal piece of the Dada movement. Its medium is that of a ready-made, a genre wherein the artist uses manufactured objects. The dimensions of this particular piece are 23.5 x 18 cm. “Fountain” is classified as an installation and is currently located at the Tate Modern in London, United Kingdom.
“Fountain” is an unconventional artwork that challenges traditional notions of art and its creation. It consists of a standard Bedfordshire model urinal, which is made of porcelain and has been laid on its back for presentation. The object is signed “R. Mutt 1917,” which is a pseudonym Duchamp adopted, adding an air of mystery and a statement to the piece. Rather than creating a new form, Duchamp selected an everyday item, removed it from its intended utilitarian context, and presented it as art, thus subverting expected norms and artistic conventions of the time.
