L.H.O.O.Q

Marcel Duchamp had a unique way of deconstructualizing art. He was one of the pioneers in claiming art to be what he declared it to be, as well as producing objet trouve which was claiming a found object as art. One of his most famous pieces of objet trouve was L.H.O.O.Q. which was a postcard of the Mona Lisa with a sketched moustache on it and the abbreviation L.H.O.O.Q at the bottom. The abbreviation translated from french to English was "her ass is on fire". This showed that not only did Duchamp have a sense of humor but that he was trying to get the viewer to see a bigger picture. If most people were to view the "classic"Mona Lisa in a gallery, they would have a similar opinion about the fact that's it's beautiful art. When Duchamp put such a controversial title on it, it forced the viewer to see the famous painting from another prospective. Instead of taking art so seriously, Duchamp looked to find another meaning from most of his work and take the risk of going against the grain.