Marcel Duchamp

I was first introduced to this artist two years ago in my art class while learning about Dadaism. Marcel Duchamp was a French-American painter, sculptor, chess player, and writer whose works are associated with Dadaism. Having a great impact on twentieth century art he rejected works of art like those of Henri Matisse , criticizing that it was retinal art that only pleased the eye. He wanted to create art that invoked thought and not to please the eye. His earlier works show styles like post impressionism ,cubism and fauvism. 

His legacy includes the insight that art can be about ideas instead of worldly things, which was a revolutionary ideology that would resonate with generations of artists to come.Much of his works have the element of Dadaism in it. Dada is basically the rejected reason and logic, prizing nonsense, irrationality and intuition. One of his famous Dada work is the L.H.O.O.Q,, which is the Mona Lisa with a moustache. The letters spelled out and read phonetically in French is Elle a chaud au cul, which translates to “she’s got a hot arse”.