The Cosmorama IV 1970

Jean Dubuffet made this sculpture, likely in the 1960s or 70s, with paint on a synthetic resin. Dubuffet was very interested in the idea of ‘art brut’, or ‘raw art’, and he often used materials and techniques that were outside the traditional art world. We can see that clearly here. The surface has a rough, almost crude texture and is built up like a collage of different shapes and colours that are outlined in black. The sculpture seems to be playing with the boundaries between high art and craft. Dubuffet brings a kind of playful, irreverent energy to his work, rejecting the traditional notions of skill and technique. In doing so, he elevates the everyday, challenging us to see the world in new and unexpected ways. He makes us consider the labour involved in the production process, as well as the wider social and cultural context in which art is created.