Marcel Duchamp
France, 1887-1968
“Arguably the 20th century’s greatest art iconoclast, Marcel Duchamp devoted his entire career to debunking pre-existing ideas about art, which he believed should appeal to the intellect rather than the senses. Encouraged by the storm of controversy sparked by his painting Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2 at the 1913 Armory Show, Duchamp moved to New York in 1915. He was extremely active in the fledgling American avant-garde, editing several Dada magazines, inventing word games and puns, and designating ordinary objects as “readymade” works of art. During this period, he cemented a life-long working friendship with Man Ray.” — Michael R. Taylor