What's all this about urinals as art?

January 18, 2006 2:57 PM

So if I were to post this article about someone attacking R. Mutt's "Urinal" with a hammer, would that be considered a "One Link News Filter Pseudo Self Link FFP" ?
posted by R. Mutt to Etiquette/Policy at 2:57 PM (24 comments total)

While I was interested in the story when I read it almost two weeks ago, I don't think it's really interesting enough for a FPP.
posted by grouse at 3:02 PM on January 18, 2006

Yes.
posted by AwkwardPause at 3:07 PM on January 18, 2006

maybe if you team it up with some other great instances of performance-vandal-art ... for example, the one that immediately springs to mind after this one is the kid who went to an ottawa art school and puked on a mondrian at the MOMA.

hell, a whole collection of these with commentary tackling why these sorts of acts are very interesting within the context of the art world would make a damned good essay.

but no, each incident by itself isn't that interesting, as with most newscrap.
posted by fishfucker at 3:08 PM on January 18, 2006

Yep.
posted by gleuschk at 3:09 PM on January 18, 2006

Ok, it was a joke.... I'll go stand in the corner.
posted by R. Mutt at 3:10 PM on January 18, 2006

No it wasn't. -1 Disingenuous.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 3:11 PM on January 18, 2006

I agree with fishfucker. A link-heavier post full of this sort of "vandalism of art/art as vandalism" would be really great. I remember when Tracy Emin had that messy bed at the Tate for the Turner Prize and some Japanese guy stripped naked and messed it all up.
posted by Falconetti at 3:15 PM on January 18, 2006

I'm confused by the use of the phrase "R. Mutt's 'Urinal'."

whose urinal?
posted by shmegegge at 3:58 PM on January 18, 2006

Duchamp signed the urinal "R. Mutt," which is presumably the source of the username (hence the "Pseudo Self Link" joke). Hey, I thought it was funny!
posted by languagehat at 4:03 PM on January 18, 2006

While we're on it does R. Mutt have a secondary meaning, like L.H.O.O.Q?

In French that sounds like "she is hot in the ass."
posted by StickyCarpet at 4:19 PM on January 18, 2006

Aren't you too busy playing chess ?
posted by sgt.serenity at 4:27 PM on January 18, 2006

Don't worry, Mr. Mutt. I got a giggle out of it, and that's all that matters.
posted by brundlefly at 4:39 PM on January 18, 2006

Hey, you posted the link without wasting your daily front page post! WHO'S a clever doggie? WHO'S a clever doggie? Are YOU a clever doggie? Yes, YOU'RE a clever little doggie!
posted by crunchland at 4:47 PM on January 18, 2006

posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 5:54 PM on January 18, 2006

I'm pretty sure the artist "R. Mutt" never created any piece of art called "Urinal."

Unless, of course, it was some kind of latter-day homage to "Fountain."
posted by soyjoy at 7:06 PM on January 18, 2006

Yes, he IS a clever little doggie!

I knew about DuChamp and the urinal, but I didn't know he signed it "R.Mutt". So, you learn something knew every day, right?
posted by yhbc at 7:10 PM on January 18, 2006

</adds you learn something knew every day to oxymoron file>
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 7:26 PM on January 18, 2006

fishfucker's linked article is awesome.

Just sayin'.
posted by mkultra at 8:18 PM on January 18, 2006

huh, in fact, there's already a website tracking "art crimes". i bet that would make a nice double.
posted by fishfucker at 8:48 PM on January 18, 2006

thanks, languagehat. that completely explains the post, which had previously confused me a bit.
posted by shmegegge at 11:58 PM on January 18, 2006

Ha ha!
Well, I didn't know that, but I'm sure as hell going to use it.
posted by NinjaPirate at 1:36 AM on January 19, 2006

R. Mutt = Armut = poverty
posted by gubo at 5:06 AM on January 19, 2006

(In German [via Wikipedia])
go ahead and post the article
posted by gubo at 5:09 AM on January 19, 2006

Ha! I personally wouldn't have minded the post, would have loved one that had several similar examples, and did know about the Duchamp "R. Mutt," and thus the "pseudo self link" - which I thought was cute and autoeponysterical.

But all I really wanted to say here is that crunchland totally cracked me up this fine day.
posted by taz at 7:29 AM on January 19, 2006