Letter; Rare artist

The "contradictory feelings" Tim Hilton finds in the Duchamp exhibition at the Entwistle Gallery are integral to the artist's purpose. These works are made to make the spectator think.

All of us can revel in Matisse's mastery of colour and design, but let us not forget that he once said that "art should be like a comfortable armchair".

Duchamp defined modern art in that he identified the intention of the artist as what makes a work of art. Hilton dismisses the beauty of the work - "can't paint" is his watchword. He prefers surface and form. Duchamp was an "embittered failure", says Hilton.

On the contrary, Marcel Duchamp was that rare creature - a fulfilled person who never compromised in his artistic or in his personal life. His achievements are a challenge to us all - let's all go to the Entwistle and look at a mind at work.

Dominy Hamilton

Brighton, E Sussex