Lateral Thinking for Every Day

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Lateral thinking in art

Art has many examples of novel ideas, sweeping new movements, lateral turns of direction and outrageous creations. The artist Marcel Duchamp took a urinal, signed it, turned it upside down and submitted it to an exhibition at an eminent art society in New York in 1917. The company’s board of directors rejected it on the grounds that it was not art. Duchamp, who was a member of the board of directors, resigned in protest. A storm of debate and controversy ensued. Duchamp won the argument and huge publicity. In 2004, the urinal was voted the most influential work of art of the 20th century. He firmly established the principle that it is the intention and choice of the artist that make a work of art.

Let’s consider one ...