Was one of the most influential artworks of the 20th century plagiarised?
In Alreadymade this question looms over ‘Fountain,’ a groundbreaking 1917 artwork attributed to Marcel Duchamp. With the help of ‘Ready Made’ stock imagery and user generated internet content director; Barbara Visser investigates the world’s most famous urinal, its quick rise to prominence in a male dominated art market and its possibly female origins.
Like the principles of the Dada movement ‘Fountain’ inspired, Visser’s use of ‘stolen material’ lends itself nicely to this reflexive documentary bringing this over a hundred year old story to life and putting a revolutionary spin on archival documentary in the process. Masterfully edited, images contrast in unique and unexpected ways, as the investigation unfolds. The playful mixing of the past and present is exemplified in a sequence which breaks down the origin of ‘Fountain’ and Duchamp’s claim to it. Seen in an archival interview, Duchamp tells his side of the story and as he is scrutinized by present day youtube videos of body language experts, pointing out signs he might be lying.
Quickly, the great man theory that surrounds Duchamp is dispelled making room for a new story to arise. Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven, a fellow artist and possible lover of Duchamp, is placed into the spotlight following the discovery of a letter from Duchamp himself. Addressed to his sister dated 1917 the letter mentions the artwork, saying that it was made by a female friend. Connecting the dots Visser sets out to resurrect the late baroness to tell her side of the story. It is here where we find the heart of the documentary, one artist paying tribute to the forgotten memory or another.
Ultimately in Visser’s film it doesn’t matter if the Baroness can be conclusively proven to be the artist behind ‘Fountain’, what is most important is that we question the context in which it rose to fame. Would it have been so influential and regarded if it was attributed to a woman? or would it fall into obscurity and eventually out of memory like the countless female artists of the past.
Alreadymade certainly stands out amongst the selection at this year’s installment of Antenna, its meta-textual investigative form truly feels fresh, bringing a new perspective to a legendary artwork.
Alreadymade plays Sunday 18 Feb at Antenna Documentary Film Festival, get your tickets here: https://antennafestival.org/films/alreadymade/
Written by Flynn Boffo