Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985)
Jean Dubuffet developed a singular body of work in the wake of Dada, based on the rejection of cultural values that he saw as an obstacle to pure artistic creation. In 1945, he coined the concept of Art Brut, which brings together artistic expressions free of all cultural influences. His entire approach is part of the same quest for a creative experience that goes against the grain of prevailing practices.
Biography of artist Jean Dubuffet
Jean Dubuffet is one of the major figures in the art of the second half of the 20th century, the author of a singular body of work that sets itself apart from the art of its time, like an autonomous continent. His creative approach is based on a desire to break away from institutionalized, "asphyxiating" culture, a veritable indoctrination.
Jean Dubuffet was born in Le Havre in 1901. His high school classmates were future writers Georges Limbour, Armand Salacrou and Raymond Queneau. He attended evening classes at the École des Beaux-Arts in Le Havre. After graduating, he moved to Paris with Georges Limbour to devote himself to painting. He briefly attended the Académie Julian. He made friends with André Masson and Fernand Léger, and met Gris at the Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler gallery. The year 1924 marked a break. He was sceptical about the values of culture. He stopped painting for eight years. After four months in Buenos Aires, he returned to Le Havre, where he joined the family wine business. In the early 1930s, he set up his own wine business in the Bercy warehouses, which he soon put under management to devote himself once again to painting. He was looking for a new form of expression. He creates masks and puppets. He gave up painting once again to save his business from bankruptcy. When war is declared, he is drafted.
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