Question

on a spring day in 1917, art critic frederick samuelson was reviewing submissions for the society of independent artists exhibition in new york city. when he came across an entry titled fountain. the piece, signed
. mutt,\ was a porcelain urinal turned on its back, with no alterations beyond the signature. he paused, puzzled by the object before him. it had been submitted by marcel duchamp, a well - known artist and key figure in the growing avant - garde movement in the art world. was it a prank, a critique, or an earnest attempt at art? the simplicity of the piece left him uneasy as if the very notion of art itself were being called into question, or even treated with the seriousness it deserves. for samuelson, and many others, fountain was a baffling enigma. fountain was rejected by the exhibition organizers, despite the societys proclaimed policy of accepting all works submitted by its members. the organizers argued that it lacked artistic merit and was offensive to the public. however, duchamps goal was not to create something traditionally beautiful or skillful. he wanted to shift the focus of art from craftsmanship to concept. in his view, an artists choice alone could transform an object into art. by signing fountain and placing it in the context of an art exhibition, duchamp redefined the boundaries of art and challenged audiences to reconsider their assumptions. art historian peter bürger later described duchamps piece as \an assault on the art establishment.\ fountain was not designed to be aesthetically pleasing, nor was it intended to evoke emotion through skillful techniques. instead, it served as an example of what bürger referred to as art by appropriation, a process where the act of choosing and presenting an object transforms it into art. duchamp, he believed, argued that art should not be limited to paintings or sculptures created with painstaking effort by elevating a mass - produced urinal to the status of art, ideas and context can hold as much weight as physical creation. duchamp himself saw fountain as more than a simple joke or provocation. in his later reflections, he insisted that the piece was a serious exploration of artistic freedom, acknowledging that he threw the urinal into the faces of art critics as a challenge. in that sense, fountain encapsulates the paradox of modern art: a work that began as an act of defiance has become an icon, celebrated for the very qualities it was once condemned for. question: the passage is best described as: a. an argument for artists to take more risks when creating art. b. an explanation for what qualities someones work has to be considered art. c. an examination of the controversy surrounding the concept of art. d. an exploration of how one work of art challenged conventional ideas of art.

Explanation:

The passage discusses the controversy around Marcel Duchamp's "Fountain", exploring what makes something art, challenging traditional views. It examines the context and reactions to this work of art.

Answer:

C. an examination of the controversy surrounding the concept of art.