Untitled

The topic of titles (that sounds almost oxymoronic) in art is so intriguing that I'd like to write more about it. I think it's extremely thought-provoking that one can exhibit something simple like a snow shovel as a work of art, and title it 'In Advance of the Broken Arm', which is what Dadaist artist Marcel Duchamp did. In this case, the juxtaposition of the title with the object reveals new insight into the form of an otherwise mundane household object. In fact, one could extend this line of thinking to claim that the work exists solely because of the title conferred on it. Without the title, it would cease to exist and would be returned to its original status as a readymade.

You call this an arm?

From this, we can see that the function of titles is by no means limited to mere description of a work, as it traditionally has been. Titles can be mentally challenging, asserting a relationship between two obviously different subjects. Even leaving a work untitled, or for that matter calling it 'Untitled', can take on a meaning or significance. With the title as a tool in addition to the paintbrush, artists have even greater creative liberty with their works today.