- Fountain is a readymade sculpture by Marcel Duchamp in 1917, consisting of a porcelain urinal signed “R. Mutt”. In April 1917, an ordinary piece of plumbing chosen by Duchamp was submitted for an exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists, the inaugural exhibition by the Society to be staged at the Grand Central Palace in New York. When explaining the purpose of his readymade sculpture, Duchamp stated they are “everyday objects raised to the dignity of a work of art by the artist’s act of choice.” In Duchamp’s presentation, the urinal’s orientation was altered from its usual positioning. Fountain was not rejected by the committee, since Society rules stated that all works would be accepted from artists who paid the fee, but the work was never placed in the show area. Following that removal, Fountain was photographed at Alfred Stieglitz’s studio, and the photo published in the Dada journal The Blind Man. The original has been lost.
- Pratt Mountain (summitpost.org)
Nestled in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness of Washington State, near I-90 & Snoqualmie Pass, Pratt Mountain is no stranger to visitors. However, with no clear “trail” to the mountaintop, and with definitive trails going to surrounding lakes and mountains, few people actually attempt to summit Pratt Mountain. To most easily reach the summit of Pratt Mountain, the route changes from a gentle-sloped woodland path to a Class 2 boulder-scramble. The hike is approximately 11-13 miles, roundtrip.
