The more I learn about Marcel Duchamp the more I think he is one of the great pioneers of modern thinking not only in art but in culture in general. One could easily draw comparisons between Duchamp's redefining of what 'art is' and comedian Andy Kauffman's redefining of what 'comedy is'. One of the main themes in the work of both cases being (to me anyways) that the thought behind the art as well as the result is together the work of art. Both men were not afraid to get booed or receive criticism for their controversial and conceptual art.
"What I have in mind is that art may be bad, good or indifferent, but, whatever adjective is used, we must call it art, and bad art is still art in the same way that a bad emotion is still an emotion."
-Marcel Duchamp (from The Creative Act)
In the Duchamp quote above he speaks of the perception of a work of art. A lot of people might make their perception of an art piece based partially on (what I'll call the 'academic technique') of a work of art. But Duchamp reminds us that this is not necessarily the most dominant factor in a piece of art, if it plays a role at all. Click on The Creative Act link above, (in the quote credit) it's an essay Duchamp presented in 1957, and is quite fascinating.
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