Barbican Art Gallery Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty Catalogue

This fully illustrated book is published by Prestel and designed by the Bon Ton. An introductory text is written by the curator, Eleanor Nairne, alongside rich and insightful thematic essays by Kent Mitchell Minturn, Rachel E. Perry, Sarah Wilson, Sarah Lombardi, Sophie Berrebi and Camille Houzé.

Jean Dubuffet (1901–1985) was one of the most provocative postwar artists. Originally a wine merchant, he devoted himself to becoming an artist at the age of 41. He experimented endlessly with materials – from coal dust and gravel to shards of glass – in the hope of creating a grittier and more brilliant picture of everyday life. As the critic Michel Tapié put it, ‘We find in Dubuffet… the most dynamic dionysiac power, a sort of living matter working its perpetual magic.’ This book covers over four decades of Dubuffet’s career, celebrating his creative powers alongside the Art Brut artists who profoundly affected his approach to making art.

Hardcover, 288 pages, 230 illustrations

Dimensions: 24cm x 28cm