Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty

Jean Dubuffet,Barbican Art Gallery

An exhibition celebrating French artist Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985), one of the most singular and provocative voices in postwar modern art.
Brutal Beauty champions Dubuffet’s rebellious philosophy. Railing against conventional ideas of beauty, he tried to capture the poetry of everyday life in a gritty, more authentic way. This is the first major survey of his work in the UK for over 50 years, showcasing four decades of his career, from early portraits and fantastical statues, to butterfly assemblages and giant colourful canvases. Dubuffet endlessly experimented and was clear on his purpose:

‘Art should always make you laugh a little and fear a little. Anything but bore’.
Alongside his own work, the exhibition features works from Dubuffet’s collection of Art Brut (a phrase he coined, which translates literally as ‘raw art’). Acquired throughout his life, these works, and the artists that created them, profoundly impacted his approach to the making and meaning of art.

Duration 17 May 2021 - 22 August 2021
Times Mon-Fri 11am-7pm Sat-Sun 10am-7pm Bank Holidays 12-7pm
Cost £18
Venue Barbican Art Gallery
Address Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS
Contact / art@barbican.org.uk / www.barbican.org.uk

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