[Ads-l] Modern art = I could do that + Yeah, but you didn't

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Excellent work. Intriguing topic, Benjamin,
Here is a sampling of close matches from twitter starting in February 2009.

I hypothesize the existence of earlier matches using different
phrasing. But I do not know the phrasing. It is a natural response and
counter-response to Marcel Duchamp's Fountain.

[Begin tweet information]
https://twitter.com/Pogarzinha/status/1226762091
Dina, the LayDidi! @Pogarzinha
Modern Art = I could do that + Yeah, but you didn't
9:33 AM · Feb 19, 2009
[End tweet information]

[Begin tweet information]
https://twitter.com/evilScientist/status/1306702847
Kamil Sarna @evilScientist
Thought of the day: Modern art = I could do that + Yeah, but you didn't.
2:47 PM · Mar 10, 2009
[End tweet information]

[Begin tweet information]
https://twitter.com/austinkleon/status/1441381766
Austin Kleon @austinkleon
"Modern art = I could do that + yeah, but you didn't"
http://tr.im/newmath (via @repeatnone)
6:20 PM · Apr 2, 2009
[End tweet information]

Garson

On Thu, May 11, 2023 at 6:06 PM Barretts Mail <mail.barretts at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> This expression appears to have been created by Craig Damrauer.
>
> Design Milk says it was released on November 17, 2010 (https://design-milk.com/modern-art-by-craig-damrauer/) but the Marcy C K Hayes blog has an entry from February 25, 2010, that uses the quote even though the artist isn’t cited (https://maryckhayes.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/modernart-2/).
>
> 1. Quotes without attribution:
>
> Evan @ Old News Is Good News: https://oldnewsisgoodnews.wordpress.com/2014/10/08/modern-art-i-could-have-done-that-yeah-but-you-didnt/
> The badhistory Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/badhistory/comments/1vn7v8/a_little_bit_of_badarthistory_or_modern_art_i/)
> Tobias van Schneider : https://vanschneider.com/blog/yeah-but-i-could-have-done-that-too/
>
> 2. Attributed incorrectly: SciArt that’ll make you feel Smart (https://neurobead.com/2020/11/21/abstract_art/ ) attributes it to Crain Damrauer.
>
> 3. Quoted with attribution:
> beckybendylegs on BeckyBendyLegs: https://beckybendylegs.com/modern-art-i-could-do-that-yeah-but-you-didnt/
> Tara Ward @ University of Michigan: https://hartgalleries.lsa.umich.edu/course_listings_w18/index.php?num=272-001h
>
> Benjamin Barrett (he/his/him)
> Formerly of Seattle, WA
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org