This book marks the centenary of Marcel Duchamp's Fountain by critically re-examining the established interpretation of the work. It introduces a new methodological approach to art-historical practice rooted in a revised understanding of Lacan, Freud and Slavoj Zizek. In weaving an alternative narrative, Kilroy shows us that not only has Fountain been fundamentally misunderstood but that this very misunderstanding is central to the work's significance. The author brings together Duchamp's own statements to argue Fountain 's verdict was strategically stage-managed by the artist in order to expose the underlying logic of its reception, what he terms 'The Creative Act.' This book will be of interest to a broad range of readers, including art historians, psychoanalysts, scholars and art enthusiasts interested in visual culture and ideological critique. "Kilroy makes a strong case that 'Duchamp's intention with Fountain was to expose the mechanism at work in the reception of his oeuvre', at least as measured by the artist's statements. He offers a timely interpretation of Duchamp, who emerges from Kilroy's analysis as an artist single-mindedly focused on the creation and reception of his own self-image." (Melissa Venator, H-France Review, Vol. 19 (21), January, 2019)