Jean Dubuffet

Jean Dubuffet (1901–1985) was one Europe’s most important post-war artists. This decade alone sees several solo exhibitions of the Frenchman’s work at institutions including MoMA New York and the Beyeler Foundation near Basel. Dubuffet’s oeuvre conveys forthright energy; he continually experimented with materials and forms as his painting, drawing and sculpture developed. His art disregarded boundaries, rejecting traditional divisions between disciplines; his greatest interest lay in the art of outsiders such as untrained artists or the insane. He coined the term ‘art brut’ and founded the Compagnie de l’Art Brut in 1948 with colleagues including André Breton, Jean Paulhan and Michel Tapié; the Collection de l’Art Brut is now at the Château de Beaulieu in Lausanne.