On July 22, Christie's Ltd. of New York will auction a complete set of lithographs, called Rotoreliefs by their creator, Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968). Possibly the auction will include a demonstration of how the Japanese Koi fish can be made to spin around and even levitate off the surface of the print.By the time of the scandal of his Nude Descending A Staircase 
at the New York Armory Show in 1913, the French-born Duchamp was beginning to chafe at the limitations of easel painting. Withdrawing from the art world to work in a library, Duchamp studied the rapidly changing subjects of mathematics of physics. 
at the New York Armory Show in 1913, the French-born Duchamp was beginning to chafe at the limitations of easel painting. Withdrawing from the art world to work in a library, Duchamp studied the rapidly changing subjects of mathematics of physics. 
Having moved rapidly himself through several art movements, Duchamp's playful side led him, during the 1920s and 1930s, to create a series of kinetic works that he conceived as optical toys. Making apparent the deceptions that visual perceptions play on our minds fascinated Duchamp. 
Beginning as a series of lithographs, The Rotoreliefs work as a series of gyrating discs that the artist dubbed an "Anemic Cinema." When the discs are spun on a turntable, they appear as three-dimensional objects, making visual symphonies that also parody traditional art.
2 comments:
How clever and interesting. Did you have a chance to go and watch the koi demonstration?
No, unfortuantely, but perhaps someone will post a video online. Certainly this is an early and intriguing example of 'performance art.'
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