Influence & Duchamp

What is influence but a wish to do it again without copying it?
Does it start with the wish to do as well as the other? I believe it could be something to do with the use of the same "toys", playground and having friends with divergent ideas. What is the importance of the word influence in our education? Is it always mutual? Why do some people see copying as (a way to simulate) influence? Are they just terribly stupid? Maybe I'm the fool here. Let’s start with a few examples that have crossed my mind.


Duchamp (Dada) and Influence (Post-modernism)

“All art is advertising but not all advertising is art”

Duchamp is one of the most influential artists of the last century but he is also a stranger for most people. Richard Hamilton did some work influenced by his aesthetics[1] during the 60's but he also copied "the large glass" and (typo) translated the green box to English. This shows Hamilton wished to work as an advertiser for Duchamp in the art world. But it's obviously a sign he didn't add anything to the work Duchamp created.
Maharaj has a different perspective on this...

Some artist chose to be their own advertising company, like Damien Hirst, Andy Worol and Joseph Beuys. Usually this is a consequence of a big ego and that makes them usually influencing personalities in short term. But how do they deal with influence? Bueys says “Duchamp‘s silence is over rated”. It is obvious he was looking at his work. But because he rejected the idea of influence he was influenced through opposition. Could be shock the only purpose of this statement? Just like a child calling for attention? I believe those words painted on canvas show disrespect for the message Duchamp left us…


I was interested in ideas, not in visual products. I wanted to put painting again in the service of the mind. (Marcel Duchamp) df

I force myself to contradict myself, so as to avoid conforming to my own taste. (Marcel Duchamp) jb


Contradiction is something mankind has been struggling with. Maybe that’s why even some people he influenced were not aware of his message. Such as Jasper Johns… How can his paintings be compatible with this simple idea that art isn’t a visual product? And if this is true how can we ask philosophers, poets, scientist, the post modern man to get it? After you start chatting with Duchamp the world becomes a stranger place but much more interesting.

[1] Usually the word aesthetics is used in such a way that it becomes a sinonim of visual/retinal when after all it is a subdivision of Philosophy.