Enchanted Monuments: Inside and Outside Jean Dubuffet (No. 34)

Description

Jean Dubuffet's 'Hourloupe' cycle began with doodles made while on the phone, and expanded over a twelve year period to encompass drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture, and eventually culminating in theatrical spectacle and large-scale projects of architectural fantasy.

Initiated in 1962, Dubuffet's intention was to create a parallel universe of 'mind-made matter' with the 'Hourloupe'. In this essay, John Gibson briefly examines the 'Hourloupe' cycle, explaining how the body of work as a whole can be regarded as Dubuffet's desire to challenge the notion of shared reality.

This essay was written to accompany the exhibition Maquettes for Monuments by Jean Dubuffet (27 September 2001 – 6 January 2002, the Upper Sculpture Study Gallery, Leeds Art Gallery).