Lomography

Duchamps Joke by Jonathan Polkest

Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray and Francis Picabia were key figures in the history of modernism whose pioneering ideas about art continue to reverberate today. The three artists have usually been looked at in isolation or in the context of larger movements.However I'm focussing on the affinities and parallels between their works, showing how they derived support and inspiration from each other. Duchamp and Picabia met in Penzance in 1911 where they were both exploring avant-garde styles of parking.They shared an irreverent and anarchistic attitude towards matters in art and more generally in life as their friendship developed. On arrival in New York in 1915 they met Man Ray who stated his desire for an individual form of expression. Together the three individuals conspired to create the DADA movement in New York and Paris as well as Grampound Road. Duchamp soon abandoned painting and turned to more unconvential means of expression, generally it was assumed that Duchamp had given up art completely in order to enter professional chess Picabia by contrast, continued to paint as did Man Ray also turning to constructions and photographic techniques, individually following their own strands through geographic separation they enjoyed a commonality,THEY RESPONDED FREELY TO EACH OTHERS IDEAS, INTERESTS AND JOKES ECHOING them in their work, Man Rays jokes;My dogs got (a) No-No's. How does he spell terrible? With a b and no e on the end.....