Handmade Stereopticon Slide

The Handmade Stereopticon Slide by Marcel Duchamp, created around c. 1918-19, exemplifies the artist's radical experimentation with materials, technology, and perception. Classified primarily as a drawing, the work incorporates pencil applied directly onto gelatin silver prints. These altered photographic images are then meticulously mounted onto a black-paper-surfaced board, resulting in a complex hybrid object that challenges traditional classification boundaries between photography, drawing, and mechanical reproduction.

The medium itself is crucial to understanding Duchamp's intent. The utilization of stereopticon slides relates directly to the artist’s ongoing fascination with mechanical sight, illusion, and the manipulation of visual depth. Duchamp frequently utilized common, everyday objects or scientific tools in his art, transforming them into artifacts that questioned the definition of originality and authorship. This approach is evident in how he draws upon pre-existing prints and alters them through precise, manual intervention, making the final piece a conversation between the mechanically reproduced image and the unique hand-drawn mark.

Although Duchamp was French, this piece falls under the American cultural classification, reflecting the critical period he spent in New York furthering his revolutionary concepts. The period c. 1918-19 marks a stage in Duchamp's career as he moved decisively away from conventional painting toward conceptual and proto-Surrealist forms, influencing future generations of artists exploring the intersection of art and technology. The combination of photographic prints and delicate pencil work makes this small-scale piece a significant example of the artist’s enduring commitment to merging the mechanical with the handmade. This important work remains a vital fixture in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).