Barbe des combats (Combat Beard) 1959

Editor: This is Jean Dubuffet's "Barbe des combats (Combat Beard)" from 1959, a mixed-media work, seemingly from his matter-painting period. It's visually quite striking; the heavy impasto and rough texture create a sense of raw physicality. What can you tell me about the socio-political context that informed Dubuffet’s art, especially in this period? Curator: Well, think about the art world's reception of Dubuffet. He deliberately positioned himself *outside* of mainstream art circles, didn't he? He championed Art Brut, art created outside the established academic tradition, often by marginalized individuals. Editor: Right, I remember reading about that. So, this “Combat Beard,” with its crude application of materials… Curator: …is perhaps a commentary on the art world establishment itself. It questions notions of beauty, skill, and even what constitutes art. He was exhibiting at a time of Abstract Expressionism's dominance, yet, rejected its heroic scale and gesture for something…anti-heroic. Who or what do you think Dubuffet might be fighting against? Editor: Perhaps the prevailing artistic and societal values of post-war Europe? It's like a deliberate act of artistic rebellion, presenting this very…unrefined image. Curator: Precisely. The "beard" could symbolize tradition, societal expectations, or even the established artistic norms Dubuffet was actively combating. What about the institutional framing of such deliberately crude images; does the very presence of this “outsider art” within museum walls not pose a question itself? Editor: That’s a good point, its placement here changes the meaning. Thanks, it’s helped me appreciate Dubuffet's "Combat Beard" not just as an object, but as a statement against the art world of its time. Curator: My pleasure. It is fascinating how its raw materiality carries the echoes of its cultural defiance.