Jean Dubuffet
French, 1901-1985
The Grand Arab (He Only Has Sand)
INV-1452
Jean Dubuffet
French, 1901-19851947
The Grand Arab (He Only Has Sand)
Jean Dubuffet French, 1901-1985 →paintingmodern and contemporary art
Date
1947
Medium
Oil and sand on canvas
Dimensions
145.4 × 113 cm (57 1/4 × 44 1/2 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Shapiro
Dismayed by the state of society after the brutalities of World War II, Jean Dubuffet looked to nontraditional artistic sources, especially those of non-Western cultures. Beginning in 1947, Dubuffet took three extended trips to the Sahara; based on the art and culture he experienced on these visits, he made a number of works, including The Grand Arab. In 1951 he developed a personal manifesto critiquing the conformity of Western society and delivered his “Anticultural Positions” in a lecture at the Arts Club of Chicago. He urged for a postwar renaissance: “The values celebrated by our culture do not . . . correspond to the true dynamics of our minds.” His presentation inspired many young artists and collectors in Chicago, who were eager to find new artistic forms that were distinct from the iconic European modernist tradition.
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