readymade

Readymade is an art term for ordinary manufactured objects designated as artworks by an artist. Coined and popularized by Marcel Duchamp in the 1910s, readymades challenge traditional distinctions between art and utilitarian objects. The artist selects an object from everyday life and presents it as a piece of art, often with minimal or no alteration but within an art exhibition context. Famous readymades include Fountain (1917), a porcelain urinal presented as sculpture; Bicycle Wheel (1913); and In Advance of the Broken Arm (1915).

Purpose and interpretation: Readymades argue that artistic meaning arises from the context and act of designation rather than the object’s fabrication. They question the role of the artisan, the aura of the handmade, and the authority of the museum. The concept influenced Dada, Surrealism, Conceptual Art, and later movements; some artists developed assisted readymades or used mass-produced components to create new associations.

Criticism and legacy: Critics have debated whether readymades are anti-art or a method for reappraising value. Some view them as undermining traditional craft; others see them as a radical critique of aesthetics and authorship. In modern usage, the term can also describe factory-made, ready-to-use products in design or consumer contexts, though historically it remains tied to Duchamp’s art practice. Readymades helped shift emphasis from technical skill to idea and context, shaping subsequent approaches to originality, interpretation, and the boundaries of art.