A term coined by Marcel Duchamp in 1916 to describe prefabricated, often mass-produced objects isolated from their intended use and elevated to the status of art by the artist choosing and designating them as such. The term “assisted Readymade” refers to works of this type whose components have been combined or modified by the artist.
Readymade
4 examples
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Marcel Duchamp Fresh Widow New York 1920
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Marcel Duchamp Bicycle Wheel New York, 1951 (third version, after lost original of 1913)
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Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky) Gift c. 1958 (replica of 1921 original)
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Marcel Duchamp In Advance of the Broken Arm August 1964 (fourth version, after lost original of November 1915)