Forensic Analysis
Shearer applied scientific methods to examine Duchamp's objects, revealing hidden craftsmanship.
Key Scholar
Rhonda Shearer
The researcher whose groundbreaking work revealed that Duchamp's "readymades" were often carefully crafted fakes - transforming our understanding of his entire project.
Updated
4/15/2026
Reading Time
1 min
On this page (5)
The Fake Readymades
Many "found objects" were actually hand-made, deliberately crafted to appear mass-produced.
Paradigm Shift
Her findings forced a complete reconsideration of Duchamp's relationship to craftsmanship and deception.
About Rhonda Roland Shearer#
Born in 1954 in Aurora, Illinois, Rhonda Roland Shearer is a multidisciplinary artist, researcher, and cultural advocate who built a career bridging art, science, and journalism.
Art Science Research Laboratory#
In 1996, Shearer co-founded the Art Science Research Laboratory in New York City with renowned paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to exploring intersections between artistic and scientific inquiry.
This collaboration proved essential: Gould brought evolutionary biology's emphasis on empirical evidence and skepticism toward received narratives, while Shearer contributed deep knowledge of art history and forensic examination techniques.
Tout-Fait: The Marcel Duchamp Studies Online Journal#
Shearer founded and edited Tout-Fait: The Marcel Duchamp Studies Online Journal, a peer-reviewed publication that became a crucial resource for Duchamp scholars worldwide.
Key Publications#
Her most influential work on Duchamp includes the two-part essay series "Marcel Duchamp's Impossible Bed and Other 'Not' Readymade Objects", which systematically demonstrates that many of Duchamp's supposedly found objects were carefully crafted to appear mass-produced.
The Impossible Bed Essays#
The Impossible Bed, Part I
Marcel Duchamp's "Impossible Bed" and Poincaré's influence. Full essay with original illustrations from marcelduchamp.org.
The Impossible Bed, Part II
A Possible Route of Influence From Art To Science. Key definitions and concepts extracted from the essay.