Dubuffet and Art Brut

Jean Dubuffet, born in 1901 was a well-known and well-liked French painter and sculptor. Throughout his early life, Dubuffet had doubts about how valuable art really was. He ran the family wine business until he took up art full time in 1942.

In addition to painting and sculpting, Dubuffet helped show the art of the insane to the world. He even came up with the term “art brut.” It means “raw art.” What Dubuffet meant by art brut was art that came from inside the artist and was not influenced by what other people thought. This was true of the art of the insane.

As Dubuffet traveled and met artists, he discovered that others (who were not insane) could create raw art as well. People who didn’t fit into society could create art that was free of society’s influence. Dubuffet began to use the term “art brut” to talk about any art, whether the artist was sane or insane, that was created without the influence of society.

Dubuffet began to collect art brut works and eventually put them on display. The collection grew and traveled from Europe to the U.S. and back again. As Dubuffet became a well-known and somewhat wealthy artist, he hired about 100 people to find and collect art brut works.

Finally, in 1976, Dubuffet’s collection found a permanent home in Switzerland at the Chateau de Beaulieu. The space was once used for studying the behavior of the mentally ill but now houses the huge collection of art brut works.

I'm off to Massachusetts this weekend but I've already set up post for through Monday. Enjoy your weekend!

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Adolf Wolfli

Yesterday I told you about art brut. Today, read about one important art brut artist, Adolf Wolfli.
Adolf Wolfli had a rough childhood. He was an orphan and very poor. He was not always treated well by the adults who passed through his life.

When he was 31, in 1895, Wolfli was admitted to the Waldau clinic near Bern, Switzerland. He remained there for the rest of his life.
Wolfli began to draw and soon the activity took up most of his time. He would wear a pencil down to nothing in only a week and he had to collect used packing paper on which to create his drawings. He never had enough materials.

Wolfli created tons of artwork. Between 1908 and 1930 he wrote his life story as he wished it to be. He illustrated it with images that often included music (see below). The 45 books that made up the story totaled 25,000 pages!
As you can see in the pictures shown here, Wolfli’s drawings were very ordered. They often had borders and connecting circles or ovals, and they usually contained geometric shapes and music notes. Wolfli began his drawings at the edge of the paper and worked his way inward. The drawings aren’t symmetrical but upon first glance may appear to be. Notice the faces that appear in all the drawings shown here.
In 1921 Dr. Walter Morganthaler wrote a book about Wolfli and his art. It was the first major book about a mentally ill artist and it increased Wolfli’s growing fame. Visitors began to show up at the hospital to meet the artist. They bought his drawings and some brought him supplies so he could continue drawing.

Wolfli drew steadily until he died in 1930.

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Art Brut: An Introduction

The term “art brut” means “raw art.” It is used to describe art created by talented artists living outside of society. Art brut is the art of the insane. The name didn’t come about until the mid-1940s and it was soon used to refer to other forms of outsider art. But that’s a topic for another day.

Until the mid-1800s no one paid attention to the artwork created by mental patients. Psychiatrists such as Dr. Paul Gaston Meunier, Dr. Auguste Marie, and Dr. Charles Ladame changed this. They began to collect the artwork because they thought it could help grant new information about the minds of their patients.
In the 1920s, as you know, abstract art movements were forming and gaining popularity. Artists like Wassily Kandinsky were creating art without recognizable subjects. Their art was based on feeling. They tried to paint emotions onto canvas and people accepted the art that was created.

The idea of putting pencil or pen or brush to paper and letting it wander with the mind made people look differently at the art of the insane. Those doodles and scribbles no longer seemed so silly.
As it turned out, the insane created more than just doodles and scribbles. Some created very realistic sketches of life. Others carved abstract sculptures. Some created ordered, patterned drawings, filled with every imaginable color. Just like the work of mentally healthy artists, the artwork of the insane varied in style and could be seen as strange or disturbing or even beautiful.

In 1922, Dr. Hans Prinzhorn published a book on the art of the insane. He also set up a gallery of artwork he had collected. The book and the gallery made people aware of the art made by the mentally ill. And the most interesting thing—the artwork influenced “normal” artists! The Surrealists were especially inspired.
Look at the pictures I’ve included. (The first was painted by Adolf Wolfli, the second by Franz Karl Buhler, and the third by August Natterer.) Tomorrow I’ll tell you about Adolf Wolfli, a mentally ill artist who is remembered today by many as a creative genius.

Thanks to BeverlyKayeGallery for suggesting this topic. I’m having a great time researching it and look forward to the next week or so of posts! Click over to the BeverlyKayeGallery blog to learn more about art brut and outsider art.

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You Can't Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum

Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman and Robin Glasser have created a gorgeous picture book: You Can’t Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum. Wordlessly the author and illustrator show the frenzied chase of a security guard through New York City as he tries to snag a run-away balloon. Inside the museum, a girl enjoys the artwork, unaware of the adventure her balloon is experiencing.

I love the way Weitzman and Glasser use famous works of art to punctuate the action happening in the city. The book doesn’t try to teach you about art or about New York City. Instead, it gives you a glimpse of both and lets you draw your own conclusions.

There are two other books in this series which may interest you. You Can’t Take a Balloon into the National Gallery follows a balloon’s travels through Washington, D.C., and You Can’t Take a Balloon into the Museum of Fine Arts is an adventure through Boston, Massachusetts. All three books feature beautiful pen-and-ink drawings with punches of color.

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Tempera Paint

Tempera is a type of paint made using egg yolk. It is still used today by some artists but it was very popular in ancient Egypt as well as during the Italian Renaissance. To make the paint, an artist ground minerals into powder. He separated the yolk (the yellow part of the egg) from the white. Then the artist mixed the yolk with the colored powder until he like the color and thickness of his paint.

Egg yolk dries quickly and forms a hard coat. Once dry, yolk is difficult to remove. (Try scrubbing dried egg out of a bowl…) Because of this, paintings made with tempera last a long time. The Fayum Portraits of ancient Egypt have lasted more than 2000 years!

You can make your own tempera! Be sure to have an adult help you with this one. Do not make the tempera until you are ready to paint with it.

Supplies Needed:

Chalk
Pencil sharpener
Egg
Water
Empty egg carton
Bowl
Fork

Sharpen a piece of chalk with your pencil sharpener. Empty the shavings into one of the egg carton cups. Repeat for each color you wish to create.

Separate the egg yolk from the egg white. You will only need the yolk. Mix the egg yolk with about three teaspoons of water.

Stir a small amount of the yolk mixture into each cup. Your paint should be a little runny. Be sure to stir until the paint is smooth.

You are now ready to create your masterpiece! Be aware that tempera paint dries fast. If the paint sits in the cups for too long, you’ll have to add a little more water to prevent it from thickening.

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