Duchamp, Kosuth en die diskoers oor kuns

Abstract

In this dissertation the artworks Fountain of Marcel Duchamp that dates from 1917 and One and three chairs of Joseph Kosuth that dates from 1965 were analysed and discussed using a method developed in semiotics. The works of art were studied with reference to modernist and postmodernist codes with special attention to the artists, the works of art and the viewers. These specific works of art were selected for this study because they exemplify the artists' views and notions concerning art. In this study the significance of Duchamp's Fountain for traditional western notions of art was discussed. The significance of Kosuth's One and three chairs for the ongoing debate on art also came under discussion. The study is concluded by a comparative discussion of the contributions of Duchamp and Kosuth, especially with regard to the discourse on art.