2024-04-23
The term ready-made used in the field of art refers to a utilitarian or waste object that constitutes a work of art or is a part of it
The idea of a ready-made object is to give a factory object a new meaning by elevating it beyond the context in which it naturally occurs into an artistic context, thus giving the object a new meaning. Raising utilitarian objects to the rank of art questions its essence, mocks academicism requiring from artists not only talent but also proper workshop. By creating a "ready-made" object, theoretically anyone can become an artist, but obviously the element which raises such an object to the rank of art is the idea standing behind it; ready-made works, therefore, bear the hallmarks of conceptual art.
The term "ready-made" originated with the famous Dadaist Marcel Duchamp, who created the most famous work of this type - "Fountain" (1917). The ceramic urinal, inverted by 90 degrees, exhibited during an exhibition of the Association of Independent Artists in New York, aroused controversy, revolutionizing the nature of art.
Other examples of ready-mades include "The Gift" (1921) by Man Ray - an iron with 14 pins glued to its sole, "Bull's Head" (1942) by Pablo Picasso created from a bicycle saddle and handlebars or "Sled" (1969) by Joseph Beuys, an installation described as a "survival kit" consisting of a ball of lard, a pile of felt and a flashlight attached to a sled.