Edifices

by Jean Dubuffet

A book of artist Jean Dubuffet's proposed architectural projects.

46 pages, paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Jean Philippe Arthur Dubuffet (31 July 1901 – 12 May 1985) was a French painter and sculptor of the École de Paris.
His idealistic approach to aesthetics embraced so-called "low art" and eschewed traditional standards of beauty in favour of what he believed to be a more authentic and humanistic approach to image-making. He is perhaps best known for founding the art brut movement.

Reviews

[Tentatively, Convenience · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't particularly like Dubuffet's paintings or sculpture but I've been interested in him for 2 main reasons: 1. his connection w/ the founding of the L'Art Brut museum (I went to Lausanne, Switzerland in 1978 esp to visit it), 2. his records of his own primitive music - ie: of him playing instruments w/o knowledge of how to play them as if he were a caveman (or whatever) encountering them for the 1st time. This bk of his proposed bldgs is basically just a bk of paintings/sculptures imagined as bldgs &, I must say, that improves them for me conceptually enormously. If one of these were ever to be built (have they? I doubt it - but I don't know) they wd certainly be STRIKING. NEWS FLASH! I didn't think any of these, or others like them, had ever been built, but, then, Lo & Behold!, I came across a photo of Dubuffet's own "Closerie Falballa" on his 4 acre estate in Perigny-sur-Yerres near Paris. Utterly amazing. REALLY. My respect for Dubuffet is raised quite a few notches. My biggest hesitation, though, is: How did he afford this? I know, I know, he's a famous artist who sells his work for big bucks. Nonetheless, I hesitate because I usually figure that anyone w/ money has gotten it by ripping someone else off. That sd, these Dubuffet architectural projects, esp when actually realized, are praiseworthy.