What is a Readymade?

A readymade is an ordinary manufactured object that an artist selects and designates as art. Marcel Duchamp coined the term and pioneered the concept with works like ‘Fountain’ (a urinal signed ‘R. Mutt’) and ‘Bicycle Wheel.’ Readymades challenged traditional definitions of art by removing the element of craft and emphasizing artistic choice and context. The concept asked: if an artist declares something is art and places it in a gallery context, does that make it art? This radical questioning profoundly influenced Surrealism’s use of found objects and continues shaping contemporary art practice. The readymade established that concept and context could matter more than technical skill in defining art, opening doors for Conceptual Art and beyond.