Duchamp in California: Walter Hopps curates a Retrospective

Richly illustrated, this volume looks back on the hugely influential 1963 Marcel Duchamp retrospective in Pasadena, a watershed moment in 20th century art history and an outstanding exemplar of curatorial practice. Duchamps deployment of assemblagist, performative, conceptual, installation, and language-based works not only rede ned modern art but would also shape certain elements of global culture, a reawakening to the artists impact on contemporary thought that was rst on full display in Pasadena, California. e exhibition gained stature as an exemplar of curatorial practice, advanced by its compelling design and by critical acclaim. A diverse international group of artists gathered for the opening including Larry Bell, Billy Al Bengston, Wallace Berman, George Brecht, William Copley, Sam Francis, Joe Goode, Richard Hamilton, Dennis Hopper, Ed Kienholz, Alison Knowles, Marisol, Patty Mucha, Claes Oldenburg, Ed Ruscha, Andy Warhol, and Robert Watts. e retrospective and its remarkable accompanying cast serve as the vehicle for a cultural history of Los Angeles in the early 1960s.