Douce emprise 1958

Jean Dubuffet made this print, Douce Emprise, in 1958 using lithography, a process involving grease, acid, and stone. The surface hums with activity, a gritty, all-over composition, kind of like if Rothko did a landscape. It’s made up of tiny marks that build up to create a dense, almost textural field, in earthy browns and ochres. Look closely and you’ll see this is not a smooth surface: the lithographic process allows for a really tactile feel, a kind of built-up layering. There’s one spot, just left of the center, where the color seems a bit lighter, like a little glow is shining through, it's all about the process of layering and mark-making. Dubuffet was interested in art that existed outside the mainstream, what he called "Art Brut" - raw art. Thinking about Art Brut helps me understand the intuitive, almost primal energy in Dubuffet’s work. It's a reminder that art can be found anywhere, in any form, and that sometimes the most powerful expressions come from unexpected places.