Page 39 - Studio International - June 1966

Left. Richard Hamilton's replica of Duchamp's Large Glass is nearly complete and
already it is clear that the upshot of his devoted study will be nothing less than
an addition to the Duchamp oeuvre. Richard Hamilton could have done one of
two things: worked from full-scale photographs and measured drawings from
the original in Philadelphia; or started from scratch on the basis of Duchamp's
own working rules, as recorded in the Green Box. Either course would have been
laborious.
Below. The approach from the 'outside' had already been explored, unsatis-
factorily, by Ulf Linde of Stockholm. In choosing to reconstruct the glass from the
'inside' Hamilton was committing himself to a demanding exercise of skill,
patience, and critical tact. The first step was a full-scale perspective drawing of the
lower halt of the glass. Vanishing points and essential measurements and
correspondences could be learned from Duchamp's notes, although often this
involved detective work. The position in space of every individual element had to
be plotted and its plan understood before an accurate projection could be made.
Numbers of detailed drawings throw up obscure information about the contents
of the Glass: that the platform and rollers of the Chocolate Grinder are conical,
for instance, or that the paddle wheels penetrate a slot in the ground.
Occasionally instructions were lacking and Richard Hamilton had to use trial
and error inspired by his grasp of Duchamp's working principles, until an
accurate solution was found.

Lead wire drawing of Bride and Blossoming with
shots. Duchamp's handling of the wire contributes
a great deal to the crisp and lively character of the
Large Glass. A research graduate went to the U.S.
to examine and record this aspect of the original. He
also checked certain measurements, made colour
records and located the shots, holes in the Glass
arrived at by Duchamp using a toy cannon to plot
their positioning.