For the Love of Art: Michael Taylor and the “Fountain” of Change

It’s not always easy to understand contemporary art. But one way to connect is to learn why other people love it. Join Chioke I’Anson, ICA Faculty-in-Residence, in a discussion with VMFA’s Michael Taylor about Marcel Duchamp and the readymade. Duchamp’s inclusion of ordinary objects in museums and art galleries was not a reflection of a new artistic style or movement, but instead offered a powerful critique of the idea of art itself. Art like his signals a different era of “art-making,” after which nothing can ever be the same.

About the Presenters

Michael Taylor is the Chief Curator and Deputy Director for Art and Education at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. A native of London, England, he previously served as director of the Hood Museum of Art and Curator of Modern Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Taylor is a scholar of Dada and Surrealism with a focus on the work and ideas of Marcel Duchamp.

Chioke I’Anson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of African American Studies at VCU and the first faculty-in-residence at the ICA. He has a PhD in philosophy from the University of South Florida and if you listen to NPR you’ll recognize his smooth baritone voice from the underwriting announcements. Chioke rides motorcycles quite fast.