Ugly Art?

Jean Dubuffet created an artistic movement called Art Brut. Authors of Art Brut usually have no connection to the mainstream art world. They create unconventional pieces with disdain for sophistication. Sometimes these artworks also express extreme mental states. This movement was created by Jean Dubuffet to describe “raw art”. He focused on the artworks created by psychiatric hospital patients and children.

1 of the 120 artworks that were created on the theme of asylum life between 1858 and 1949. ( Sainte-Anne psychiatric hospital in Paris )

Dubuffet thought genuine expression could be reached only by artists who were not willing to be assimilated by mainstream culture. According to Dubuffet, Art Brut was more precious than art created by professionals because “[These works are] created from solitude and from pure and authentic creative impulses - where the worries of competition, acclaim and social promotion do not interfere”.

Jean Dubuffet, Childbirth

“You paint like a child” is no longer a valid insult. It actually means your art is powerful, raw and pure - not influenced by what is considered as an acceptable conduct.

Then anyone can be a great artist, right?

Not really, the difference lays on the mastery of the painting technique (or any other artistic expression). One must be first able to paint a bird as captured by a camera, then distort it to show the feelings around the subject.

Is Jean Dubuffet’s art free of any lust for fame? What sets him apart of other artists whose sole purpose was to, precisely, be unconventional/unique?

Not pretending any of that.

A list of other notorious Art Brut or Outsider Art authors:

• James Charles Castle

• Al Carbee

• Benny Carter

• Holly Farrell

• Paul Gösch

• Mollie Jenson

• Leonard Knight