Readymades Research

This page collects scholarly articles from Toutfait.com, the premier online journal for Marcel Duchamp studies. These articles explore various aspects of Duchamp's revolutionary readymades, from technical analysis to philosophical implications.

The research represented here ranges from challenging the basic assumption that readymades were unmodified found objects (Shearer, Obalk) to exploring their cultural and philosophical significance (Girst, O'Halloran). This collection is essential reading for understanding the complexity beneath what appears to be a simple artistic gesture.

By Evan Bender December 1, 2007

Responds to Rhonda Shearer's investigative work questioning whether Duchamp's readymades were actually unmodified commercial objects. Argues that Duchamp's documented habit of modifying objects and providing misleading information created intentional layers of confusion.

By Thomas Girst April 1, 2003

Examines how Duchamp's readymade concept was interpreted and misused by post-war and contemporary American artists. Argues that while Duchamp intended readymades as a limited, personal experiment, subsequent generations adopted them as justification for "anything goes" approaches.

By Thomas Girst April 1, 2003

German-language article exploring readymades and Duchamp's artistic strategies.

By Hector Obalk May 1, 2000

Argues that Duchamp's readymades are not artworks themselves, but rather conceptual speculation about art. Contends that readymades operate as philosophical thought experiments exploring identity and difference in mass-produced objects.

By Kristina Seekamp December 1, 2005

Online exhibition of Marcel Duchamp's Readymades emphasizing "the physical impact of the Readymades" and examining how they functioned within actual museum spaces. Argues that understanding requires considering them as tangible objects positioned to intervene in and challenge traditional art museum context.

By Rhonda Roland Shearer December 1, 2000

Examines how collecting historical everyday objects alongside artworks provides crucial context for understanding Duchamp's practice. Through detailed analysis, demonstrates that many alleged mass-produced, store-bought objects cannot be located in historical records, suggesting substantial artistic intervention.

By Rhonda Roland Shearer (with Gregory Alvarez, Robert Slawinski, Vittorio Marchi, and Stephen Jay Gould) December 1, 2000

Extensive multimedia essay challenging the conventional understanding of readymades as simple, unaltered mass-produced objects. Through detailed geometric analysis and 3D modeling, demonstrates that Duchamp employed a revolutionary "rehabilitated perspective" technique combining multiple photographic viewpoints.

By Miriam Jordan-Haladyn and Julian Jason Haladyn May 8, 2019

Examines Greta Garbo as Mata Hari and Duchamp as Rrose Sélavy to analyze how femininity functions as a cultural readymade. Argues that gender operates as a performative masquerade constructed through photographic conventions rather than as authentic biological reality.

By John S. Allen April 1, 2003

Provides technical corrections to historical claims about bicycle design in relation to Duchamp's famous readymade sculpture. Explores mechanical differences between fork designs and tire technologies.

By Yassine Ghalem May 1, 2000

Questions whether Duchamp's Bicycle Wheel truly qualifies as a readymade. Recalls Duchamp explaining he created the work by mounting a wheel on a stool to simulate movement and warmth of a fire, questioning how this differs from artistic assemblage.

By Lars Blunck (translated by Jan Wagner) December 1, 2000

Explores how Duchamp's Bicycle Wheel transformed from a personal studio object into a museum artifact. Analyzes the tension between the artwork's intended interactive nature and museums' protective display practices.

By Jack Spector December 1, 2005

Examines Fountain (1917) as a work that deliberately plays with gender ambiguity through the inversion and modification of a standard urinal. Connects this androgynous artwork to Duchamp's family dynamics and his female alter ego, Rrose Sélavy.

By Paul O'Halloran August 18, 2020

Examines whether Martin Heidegger's influential theory of artistic origin can adequately explain Duchamp's Fountain. Argues that Heidegger's phenomenological approach fails because Fountain derives significance from collaborative performance and artistic intention rather than the physical urinal itself.

By Robert December 1, 1999

Examines "Air de Paris" (1919), proposing it may be modeled after the Holy Ampule used in French coronation ceremonies. Scrutinizes the authenticity of various versions, noting discrepancies between labeled volumes and actual measurements.

Article exploring connections between Duchamp and Belle Greene related to bottle-themed readymades.

By Jake Kennedy December 1, 2005

Explores connections between Duchamp, Beckett, and bicycle-related works.

Examines Duchamp's relationship with the art market and how readymades challenged commercial art values.

By Yishan Lam May 1, 2005

Explores Duchamp's portable museum box and its relationship to readymades through Derridean philosophical framework.

Article focused on the Bicycle Wheel readymade.

Response article to Allen's technical analysis of the Bicycle Wheel.

Further response in the scholarly debate about the Bicycle Wheel's technical details.