How did Marcel Duchamp’s use of mass-produced objects influence Pop art artists?

Marcel Duchamp’s use of mass-produced objects, which he termed ready-mades, profoundly influenced the Pop art movement by challenging traditional definitions of art and the status of the art object.12

Duchamp’s approach influenced Pop artists in several key ways:

• Redefining Art: By selecting commonplace, mass-produced items—such as his famous Fountain—Duchamp sought to destroy the notion of the unique art object, shifting the focus from material craftsmanship to an intellectual process.1
• Subject Matter: Pop artists adopted Duchamp’s celebration of everyday objects, taking items from popular culture—such as soup cans, comic strips, and commercial packaging—as their primary subject matter.12
• Conceptual Foundation: Duchamp’s legacy provided a philosophical basis for Pop art, encouraging artists to view consumer culture as worthy of artistic attention. This influence was evident in the work of artists like Jasper Johns, who explored the boundary between real-world objects and art, and Richard Hamilton, whose work explicitly referenced Duchampian ideas.132

Ultimately, Duchamp’s "anti-artist" attitude and his willingness to embrace the industrial age paved the way for Pop art to reject the elitism of "high art" in favor of a more democratic, objective reflection of society.42