Jean Dubuffet (pronounced: Sssh on Do buh fay)

Jean Dubuffet (France, ) was a French painter and sculptor. He was very interested in the drawings of children and the mentally disabled. He called those drawings “Art Brut” (pronounced; broot) which means “Raw Art”. Raw art is art produced by non-professionals working outside the aesthetic* norms, such as psychiatric patients, prisoners and children. Dubuffet sought to create an art as free from intellectual concerns as Art Brut was, and his work often appears primitive and child-like. “Outsider Art” is another term for “Raw Art” *Aesthetic: the philosophy of what’s considered “beautiful”.

Many of Dubuffet’s works are painted in oil paint, thickened by materials such as sand and straw, giving the work an unusually textured surface. During the early 1960’s, Dubuffet produced a series of paintings in which he limited himself to the colors red, white, black, and blue. Those works resemble jigsaw puzzles.

Installation Art describes an artistic genre* of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, where as exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between these terms overlap. Many of Dubuffet’s works can are considered to be “installations”.three-dimensionalsite-specificLand art *Genre: French word for “type”, “variety”

A self-portrait created in the style of Dubuffet.

This Project involves drawing and sculpture using “Organic” or “Free Form” shapes. Organic/Free Form shapes are usually shapes that are found in “nature” (clouds, leaves, etc..). Geometric shapes are usually man-made shapes (signs, buildings, etc.)

Project Steps: 1. Get a black, blue and red marker. On practice paper, with black marker, draw a variety of different “organic” shapes in different sizes. Divide each shape into 3 or 4 sections and draw stripes in one section of each. Color in 1 section with either red or blue marker and leave 1 section white.

2. Get 4 or more pieces of foam core board and 4 or more pieces of tag board and draw your shapes from step #2. The more “complicated” shapes should be drawn on tagboard as they will be easier to cut out! Repeat steps above to fill in and color sections. You must color BOTH sides of all your shapes.

3. Cut shapes out with scissors.

4. Make small cuts in each shape and assemble together based on demonstration. You may also HOT GLUE your sculpture to a foam core base. Put your name, period & “day” on bottom! *Sculpture must be at least 12” high. You may make a “tiny” one for extra credit it you want. 5. Turn in completed sculpture with rubric folded & put somewhere in it.

Adding a “Crowd” 5. Look through magazines (in box on small table by paper cutter) and cut out a bunch of people (families, children, adults, etc…) for your “crowd”. Make sure you just cut out the “silhouette” (the outside outline). 4” tall is the maximum height.

6. Using marker or colored pencils, color the BACK of the person so it looks realistic.

7. Make a “stand” for your people. Glue down your “crowd” around your sculpture.

8. Turn in completed sculpture with rubric folded & put somewhere in it. You may make a “tiny” one for extra credit if you want.

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