Alchemist of the avante-garde : the case of Marcel Duchamp / John F. Moffitt.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Moffitt, John F. (John Francis), 1940-2008.

Series:

SUNY series in Western esoteric traditions

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Alchemy--Influence.

Alchemy.

Duchamp, Marcel, 1887-1968--Criticism and interpretation.

Duchamp, Marcel.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (512 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, c2003.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Acknowledged as the "Artist of the Century," Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968) left a legacy that dominates the art world to this day. Inventing the ironically dégagé attitude of "ready-made" art-making, Duchamp heralded the postmodern era and replaced Pablo Picasso as the role model for avant-garde artists. John F. Moffitt challenges commonly accepted interpretations of Duchamp's art and persona by showing that his mature art, after 1910, is largely drawn from the influence of the occult traditions. Moffitt demonstrates that the key to understanding the cryptic meaning of Duchamp's diverse artworks and writings is alchemy, the most pictorial of all the occult philosophies and sciences.

Contents:

Front Matter

Contents

Illustrations

Introduction

An Esoteric French Adolescence for Duchamp: Symbolist Culture and Occultism

The Invention of the Modern Alchemist-Artist

The Cultural Shaping of an Artist-Iconoclast: Duchamp in France, 1887–1915

Duchamp’s First Experiments in Esoteric and Alchemical Art, 1910–1912

Duchamp in New York with Esoteric Patrons and the Large Glass, 1915–1923

Alchemical Emblematics and the Ready-Mades, 1913–1923

The Esoteric Fourth Dimension and Laws of Chance, 1895–1923

The Circle Closes, 1923–1968

Epilogue

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 423-457) and index.

ISBN:

0-7914-8690-7

1-4175-3604-7

OCLC:

61367763