Secret 1959

This is an artwork called 'Secret' by Jean Dubuffet, made using a printmaking technique in 1952. Looking at the image, I’m plunged into a world of texture. It reminds me of the way Agnes Martin worked. It makes you want to reach out and touch it. It’s clear Dubuffet wasn't after perfect lines or smooth surfaces. I imagine him layering ink, scraping back, and building up this complex surface. It is a beautiful mess. I wonder if Dubuffet was thinking about the layers of human experience, the accumulation of memories and emotions that shape who we are. Did he want to convey the hidden depths beneath the surface of things? Like the quiet hum of Philip Guston's paintings. This piece feels like an intimate conversation, a glimpse into Dubuffet’s artistic mind. And it reminds me that art is about exchange, an ongoing dialogue across time. We, as artists, stand on each other's shoulders, inspired by those who came before us.