Bloomsbury Duchamp Accelerated: Contemporary Perspectives (Transnational Surrealism)

While much of this work supports the existing narratives that have dominated Duchampian scholarship for decades, such as his role in the European Dada movement and the philosophical ideas that influenced him, the cutting-edge essays collected in this book push our understanding of Duchamp beyond the limits of existing criticism. Written in the specific context of the 21st century, Duchamp Accelerated: Contemporary Perspectives situates the artist firmly in a global context and highlights the numerous influences – from Marxist philosophy and the writings of Georges Bataille, to travels in Argentina – that shaped his ideas and art. The volume also includes chapters on the Dada collection in Israel and contemporary artwork by Jeff Wall. Actively challenging the dominant narratives that surround Duchamp, these novel approaches aim to 'accelerate' the histories, dialogues, visions and materialisms that define his practice, whilst relating his art and ideas to a multitude of disciplinary and cultural perspectives. The accelerated Duchamp that emerges from this analysis is one who not only speeds up notions of art in relation to cultural and political histories, but one whose practice is actively informing future developments in the worlds of art and material culture today.