Duchamp Off the Record: The Janis Family Interviews

One of the towering figures of 20th-century art holds forth on his controversial life and career in a previously unpublished set of interviews

Over six sessions between September 1951 and November 1952, Marcel Duchamp sat down with collectors and gallerists Harriet and Sidney Janis for a wide-ranging conversation about his inspirations and working processes, and his many opinions on the workings of the modern art world and its histories. The Janises, owners of the influential Sidney Janis Gallery, were ardent supporters of modern art and close friends with Duchamp. Harriet, an accomplished author, led the interviews with an eye toward writing a monograph on Duchamp, though this was never realized. Now, this previously unknown chronicle is available for the first time through the efforts of Carroll Janis, Sidney and Harriet’s son. Under Harriet’s expert guidance, Duchamp holds forth on his artistic philosophies, his career, his friends, his rivals, and his lifelong obsession with chess. He provides an inside look at some of his most famous works, from his controversial Readymades to The Large Glass. Contextualized with illustrations, annotations, and an introduction by Carroll Janis, this publication is a rich treasure trove of information on one of the 20th century’s most controversial, groundbreaking, and larger-than-life artists.

Author Biography

Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968) dismantled the boundaries of what constitutes a work of art. Although he began his career as a painter, Duchamp was also a curator, conservator, art advisor, professional chess player, writer, inventor, and celebrity. Following the completion of his conceptual masterpiece, The Large Glass (1915–23), he abandoned traditional art-making altogether and today is best known for his Readymades––ordinary objects like a urinal or bicycle wheel, elevated to works of art––which challenged traditional aesthetics and redefined authorship.

Ann Temkin is the Marie-Josée and Henry Kravis Chief Curator of Painting and Sculpture at The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Carroll Janis is the son of Sidney and Harriet Janis, and an art historian who has taught at Columba, Hunter, and the School of Visual Arts in New York. He is the former director of the Sidney Janis Gallery.