Society of Independent Artists

Marcel Duchamp was one of the founders of the Society of Independent Artists in 1916 resulting Inc. ( SIA ), and the only European one of the directors and helped the to 1944 exhibiting artists' association annually by the scandal of his disapproved readymade Fountain from the start to great popularity.

History

The chairman was William Glackens, who had also been involved in organizing the Armory Show. Furthermore, included Charles Prendergast as Vice President, Walter Pach as treasurer, John Covert as secretary and Walter Arensberg as managing director of this company. Artists among the directors were for example: George Bellows, Katherine Sophie Dreier, Rockwell Kent, John Marin, Alfred Henry Maurer, Man Ray, Morton Schamberg and Joseph Stella. Following the example of the French Salon des Independants should for the planned exhibitions no censorship and no pre-selection held by a jury, so that anyone "who paid the fee ," also could exhibit. The artist paid an entrance fee of one dollar to become a member of society. For the annual fee of five dollars he was allowed to show a maximum of two works in the annual exhibition.

The first and largest exhibition, called the Big Show, with 2125 works from 1200 artists was opened in New York at the Grand Central Palace at 20 West 31st Street on April 10, 1917. She was twice as large as the Armory Show of 1913, and offered not only avant-garde art of the sculpture of Constantin Brancusi there issued Princesse X counted. Never got to face the audience Duchamp's readymade Fountain, which he had submitted under the pseudonym R. Mutt. The President of the Management Board, Glackens, announced in a press release announced that the submitted object is not a work of art. Duchamp and Arensberg were then returned under protest by the Board. Later exhibitions of works less and had reduced quality.

The Society of Independent Artists should not be confused with the founded in Paris in 1884, Société des Artistes Independants, the above the Salon des Independants organized.