Menaces 1959

Jean Dubuffet made this print, titled "Menaces", in 1959. It presents us with an abstract field of mottled grays and browns, an aesthetic he developed in post-war France by turning away from established art institutions. Dubuffet was interested in what he called Art Brut, meaning 'raw art’. He looked to the art of children, the insane, and graffiti as sources of authentic creativity, untouched by academic training and cultural norms. The rough texture and earthy tones in Menaces reflect this interest, suggesting a primal or elemental state of being. France in the late 1950s was undergoing rapid social change, grappling with the aftermath of war, decolonization, and increasing industrialization. Dubuffet’s work reflected a rejection of bourgeois values and a search for something more fundamental. To truly understand Dubuffet's art we need to consult not only the artist's statements, but also delve into the cultural and social history of post-war France. Art history is as much about the world around the art as the art itself.