Impermanence 1959

This is "Impermanence" by Jean Dubuffet, made using lithography. Doesn’t it look like something ancient? Like a wall in an old city? The surface seems to register everything – marks and stains accumulating over time. I imagine Dubuffet working on the lithographic stone, grinding and layering, building up this crusty, mottled surface. You know, it's so easy to get caught up in making things perfect, but Dubuffet reminds us of the beauty in imperfection and decay. The word "Impermanence" is right there in the title, telling us everything is temporary. I think this piece is in conversation with the work of other artists like Antoni Tàpies. It's kind of reassuring, isn’t it? That artists, across time, keep reminding each other that it's okay to let things be messy, unfinished, and always changing. It is a great reminder that everything fades. And that’s okay.