Tzu-chi Yeh traveled to New York in 1987 to study. Living in a city full of surprises, this melting pot of the artistic and cultural fed his imagination and creativity. Whether it’s an art museum or the many galleries that lined the city’s neighborhoods, the various forms of exhibitions became his best teachers and sources of inspiration. “This is a Urinal - After / Post Duchamp” is one of the works Yeh created while living in New York. In 1917, Duchamp inverted a urinal, signed it with his pseudonym and named the work “Fountain”. The piece was submitted to be displayed at an exhibition. It was never put on display in the main exhibition and garnered much criticism from the committee, but Duchamp gave birth to a new concept of art and Fountain is considered one of Dadaism’s most iconic works. Fountain marked the beginning of ready-made objects becoming works of art and was an important milestone in twentieth century modern art. Unfortunately, the original work has been lost and the piece currently housed in New York’s Museum of Modern Art is a replica commissioned by Duchamp himself.

Yeh, like Duchamp, has lived in New York. In this piece, the “Fountain” is painted right in the center of the canvas in a portrait-like style. The urinal is an object of worship; a hallowed, inviolable atmosphere permeates the piece. A unique emotional factor is always present in Yeh’s still life paintings. In this piece, the use of techniques such light and perspective is reminiscent of classism, yet the work is elaborately rational and quietly symbolic. The supremacy given to its subject complements the author’s respect for Duchamp.