Community View

Jean Dubuffet:
Brutal Beauty

Explore a collection of activities and resources, co-produced by Headway East London, inspired by Jean Dubuffet.

Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty. Installation view. Barbican Art Gallery, 17 May – 22 August 2021 © Tristan Fewing / Getty Images

Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty. Installation view. Barbican Art Gallery, 17 May – 22 August 2021 © Tristan Fewing / Getty Images

Welcome from Headway East London

Since 2019, we have been working with the Barbican as their first Community Collaborator. In recent months, members of our onsite art studio, Submit to Love, have been in close discussion with the Barbican Art Gallery’s curatorial team; reflecting on and responding to both the work and themes emerging from Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty. As part of this work, we've put together our Community View for you to enjoy - a collection of fun creative activities and reflections we’ve created in response to the exhibition.

We'd love to see the artworks you create in response to the activities! You can share them with us by emailing a photo to [email protected]or upload them to social media with the hashtag #BrutalBeauty tagging us @HeadwayELondon and @BarbicanCentre. We'll be sharing some of your work at the end of the exhibition, to celebrate your creativity!

You can scroll down this page or use the tabs at the top to find the section you’d like.

Thanks so much for visiting, enjoy!

About Headway East London

Headway East London is an award-winning charity supporting people affected by brain injury. Working across 13 boroughs we deliver services and support to nearly 200 survivors and family members each week. We believe that every person in our community has something to contribute to our work and wider society, and all of our services are designed to encourage co-production, respect, and empowerment.

Meet the Artists: Inside Submit to Love Studios at Headway East London

The Barbican came to meet some of Headway East London's artists at Submit to Love Studios. Each week, up to 40 people work collectively in an open studio environment and help bring out the best in each other. Submit to Studios' mission is 'discovery through art' and like Jean Dubuffet, we champion the notion that art is by everyone, for everyone.

The Barbican met Simon, Billy, Sam, Sandra, Errol, and Chris to learn more about their art and how some of them have taken inspiration from Dubuffet's work.

Thank you to everyone at Headway East London and Submit to Love Studios.

About Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty

Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty is a new exhibition at Barbican Art Gallery (Mon 17 May–Sun 22 Aug 2021) that explores the life and work of French artist Jean Dubuffet, who lived from 1901–1985.

Alongside his own artworks which include paintings, installation, drawings and, collage, his collection of Art Brut artists is featured and celebrated. Art Brut literally means ‘raw art’ in French. Dubuffet came up with this term for people who hadn’t been to art school but made incredibly powerful artwork. They included children, tattoo and graffiti artists, and patients of mental health hospitals. Dubuffet acquired Art Brut works throughout his life. The artists that created them profoundly impacted his approach to the making and meaning of art. Dubuffet questioned what art can be and who can make it and he often preferred art made by children to that made by formally trained artists.

You can find out more about the Art Brut artists featured in the exhibition, and in Dubuffet's collection, in our exhibition guide.

The exhibition champions Dubuffet’s rebellious philosophy as he tried to capture the poetry of everyday life in a gritty, more authentic way. It's the first major survey of his work in the UK for over 50 years, showcasing four decades of his career, from early portraits and fantastical statues, to butterfly assemblages and giant colourful canvases.

Take a tour of the exhibition

Barbican curator Eleanor Nairne takes us on a short tour of the exhibition to share some of her favourite artworks from the exhibition.

Click on each image to see it full screen.

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery, 17 May – 22 August 2021

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet’s Vicissitudes (Les Vicissitudes), 21 January 1977, in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery, © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Tristan Fewings / Getty Images .

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet’s Vicissitudes (Les Vicissitudes), 21 January 1977, in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery, © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Tristan Fewings / Getty Images .

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, Monsieur Plume, Botanical Specimen (Portrait of Henri Michaux) (Monsieur plume pièce botanique [portrait d’Henri Michaux]), December 1946 and Dhôtel, July–August 1947 © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, Monsieur Plume, Botanical Specimen (Portrait of Henri Michaux) (Monsieur plume pièce botanique [portrait d’Henri Michaux]), December 1946 and Dhôtel, July–August 1947 © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, Mire G 177 (Bolero), 28 December 1983 © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Tristan Fewings / Getty Images .

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, Mire G 177 (Bolero), 28 December 1983 © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Tristan Fewings / Getty Images .

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, Roses of the Earth (Les Roses de la terre), February 1952, alongside Sun without Virtue (Soleil sans vertu), January 1952 in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, Roses of the Earth (Les Roses de la terre), February 1952, alongside Sun without Virtue (Soleil sans vertu), January 1952 in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, Ideoplasma II (L3) (Ideoplasme II [L3]), 18 September 1984, alongside Fulfilment (Epanouissement), 11 November 1984 in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, Ideoplasma II (L3) (Ideoplasme II [L3]), 18 September 1984, alongside Fulfilment (Epanouissement), 11 November 1984 in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Dubuffet in his studio in Paris, 1951 by Robert Doisneau alongside The Tree of Fluids (L’Arbre de fluides), October 1950, in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Dubuffet in his studio in Paris, 1951 by Robert Doisneau alongside The Tree of Fluids (L’Arbre de fluides), October 1950, in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Fleury-Joseph Crepin, Composition No. 33, Composition No. 6, Composition No. 43, Composition No. 32, all 1939. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Fleury-Joseph Crepin, Composition No. 33, Composition No. 6, Composition No. 43, Composition No. 32, all 1939. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Aloïse Corbaz, Berlin Kaiser Gabriel Chamorel, 1946–47 alongside framed notebooks, in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Aloïse Corbaz, Berlin Kaiser Gabriel Chamorel, 1946–47 alongside framed notebooks, in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Maurice Baskine, Untitled (Sans titre), from the ‘Characters with Seals’ (‘Personnages aux sceaux’) series, date unknown. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Maurice Baskine, Untitled (Sans titre), from the ‘Characters with Seals’ (‘Personnages aux sceaux’) series, date unknown. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, The Extravagant One (L'Extravagante), July 1954 © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London; Jean Dubuffet, Knight of the Night (Chevalier de nuit), July 1954 © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London Photo: Tristan Fewings / Getty Images .

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, The Extravagant One (L'Extravagante), July 1954 © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London; Jean Dubuffet, Knight of the Night (Chevalier de nuit), July 1954 © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London Photo: Tristan Fewings / Getty Images .

Installation view of Coucou Bazar in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Coucou Bazar in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Coucou Bazar in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Coucou Bazar in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Item 1 of 12

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet’s Vicissitudes (Les Vicissitudes), 21 January 1977, in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery, © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Tristan Fewings / Getty Images .

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet’s Vicissitudes (Les Vicissitudes), 21 January 1977, in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery, © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Tristan Fewings / Getty Images .

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, Monsieur Plume, Botanical Specimen (Portrait of Henri Michaux) (Monsieur plume pièce botanique [portrait d’Henri Michaux]), December 1946 and Dhôtel, July–August 1947 © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, Monsieur Plume, Botanical Specimen (Portrait of Henri Michaux) (Monsieur plume pièce botanique [portrait d’Henri Michaux]), December 1946 and Dhôtel, July–August 1947 © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, Mire G 177 (Bolero), 28 December 1983 © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Tristan Fewings / Getty Images .

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, Mire G 177 (Bolero), 28 December 1983 © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Tristan Fewings / Getty Images .

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, Roses of the Earth (Les Roses de la terre), February 1952, alongside Sun without Virtue (Soleil sans vertu), January 1952 in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, Roses of the Earth (Les Roses de la terre), February 1952, alongside Sun without Virtue (Soleil sans vertu), January 1952 in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, Ideoplasma II (L3) (Ideoplasme II [L3]), 18 September 1984, alongside Fulfilment (Epanouissement), 11 November 1984 in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, Ideoplasma II (L3) (Ideoplasme II [L3]), 18 September 1984, alongside Fulfilment (Epanouissement), 11 November 1984 in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Dubuffet in his studio in Paris, 1951 by Robert Doisneau alongside The Tree of Fluids (L’Arbre de fluides), October 1950, in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Dubuffet in his studio in Paris, 1951 by Robert Doisneau alongside The Tree of Fluids (L’Arbre de fluides), October 1950, in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Fleury-Joseph Crepin, Composition No. 33, Composition No. 6, Composition No. 43, Composition No. 32, all 1939. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Fleury-Joseph Crepin, Composition No. 33, Composition No. 6, Composition No. 43, Composition No. 32, all 1939. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Aloïse Corbaz, Berlin Kaiser Gabriel Chamorel, 1946–47 alongside framed notebooks, in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Aloïse Corbaz, Berlin Kaiser Gabriel Chamorel, 1946–47 alongside framed notebooks, in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Maurice Baskine, Untitled (Sans titre), from the ‘Characters with Seals’ (‘Personnages aux sceaux’) series, date unknown. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Maurice Baskine, Untitled (Sans titre), from the ‘Characters with Seals’ (‘Personnages aux sceaux’) series, date unknown. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, The Extravagant One (L'Extravagante), July 1954 © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London; Jean Dubuffet, Knight of the Night (Chevalier de nuit), July 1954 © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London Photo: Tristan Fewings / Getty Images .

Installation view of Jean Dubuffet, The Extravagant One (L'Extravagante), July 1954 © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London; Jean Dubuffet, Knight of the Night (Chevalier de nuit), July 1954 © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London Photo: Tristan Fewings / Getty Images .

Installation view of Coucou Bazar in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Coucou Bazar in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Coucou Bazar in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

Installation view of Coucou Bazar in Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty at the Barbican Art Gallery © 2021 ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London. Photo: Marcus Leith

How To: Make Art Like Jean Dubuffet

Take inspiration from Jean Dubuffet's art and learn more about Art Brut with the Barbican's fun animated video to make you get creative.

Illustrations from Submit to Love Studios, students of the Garden School, the Sydney Russell School and illustrator Aleesha Nandhra.


Making Art Like Dubuffet – Schools Responses

Browse the gallery below to see some amazing artworks students from The Garden School and The Sydney Russell School created in response to the activities ‘True Face’ and ‘Magic Materials’ that are featured in the video above. Enjoy looking at their art and getting creative yourself!

Click on each image to see it full screen.

Item 1 of 14

Can We Be Artists?
Self-Portrait Activity

Taking inspiration from Jean Dubuffet’s series of portraits, the artists from Submit to Love created this activity to invite you to try your (other) hand at drawing yourself whilst thinking about some key questions.

What you need

  • Pencil
  • Plain paper (the bigger the better)
  • Pens (or anything else you have to hand to bring it to life)

Step 1

Grab your pencil or pen and put it in your less dominant hand. (i.e. If you write with your right hand, then use your left hand).

Step 2

Now draw a self-portrait.


Top Tips

This can be a drawing of yourself or something that represents your personality.

Go big on the paper!

Try to do it in 3 minutes and don’t worry about what it looks like.

Try to be bold with your lines. If you draw it with a pencil first you can go over it with a pen.

Step 3

Take a look at the questions below and think about how you would answer them...

Is everyone a potential artist? 

Does art need to be beautiful? 

Who decides what art is? 

Whose art should be displayed in art galleries? 

What is art for?

Step 4

Add your answers to your drawing.


Top Tips:


Write your answers as short statements, rather than just yes or no. Try to use key words from the question. e.g. ‘Art is for enjoyment.’

Treat your writing as part of the artwork, for instance you could include the writing in the portrait itself or add it around the outside.

Step 5

If you are doing this with someone else, compare your answers and have a bit of a discussion or debate.

If something someone says makes you want to add more thoughts to your artwork, go for it!

Step 6

Finally, finish off your artwork!

Add colour, shapes... anything you like, you’re the artist!

Pinch Pot Portraits? Clay Activity

Submit to Love artist, Billy Mann invites you to make your very own 'Pinch Pot Portrait' - follow the steps below for an easy guide to making faces with clay.

If you'd like to print these instructions out at home you can download the PDF (4MB).

What you'll need:

  • Air Drying Clay (or even playdough works for a temporary piece of art!)
  • Shaping tools (modelling tool or anything you have lying around like a pencil or matchstick)
  • Plastic Bag

Step 1

Grab enough clay to fit in the palm of your hand.

Pat the clay into a rough ball or roll it between your hands.

Step 2

Cup the clay in one hand. Push the thumb of your other hand into the centre of the ball.

Step 3

Start pinching. Each time you pinch, turn the clay so that you are gradually working your way around the ball, thinning the wall. Don’t rush!

Repeat until you have a small pot.

Pro Tip

Your thumb on the inside supports the clay and gently pushes out. Your fingers on the outside gently pinch the clay up.

Shape!

‘Draw’ on the clay

Score the clay to make patterns and marks. Draw features (eyes, nose, ears, etc) onto your pot. Use the modelling tool or anything you have lying around (like a pencil or matchstick). Don’t rush!

Sculpt and mould the clay

Squeeze and smooth the clay with your fingers. Explore what happens when you push the clay out from the inside, or in from the outside. Try to form a nose this way, or eye sockets?

Use your fingers as a tool

Shape clay between your fingers to form ears and a nose. Roll small coils of clay to make moustaches and specs. Use your fingers or modelling tool. Immediately attach any extra clay to your pot. Score the attachment area for better adhesion.

Fix It - Troubleshooting

Got cracks as you’re pinching?
Don’t panic! This is just the clay starting to dry. Rub your finger over the cracks until they disappear and carry on pinching. The more you handle the clay the drier it becomes and the more it will crack. So, if you’re getting lots of cracks, try to handle the clay less (you could even wear plastic gloves). You can also occasionally spray the clay with water (but don’t go overboard, as too much water can also cause cracks!)

Flopping pots?
If your pot feels a bit wobbly and starts to flop, put it to one side to dry a little. Once it feels more stable, you can either pinch some more (if your walls are still very thick) or start to sculpt and decorate.

If all else fails...
There is no such thing as a disaster. You can always squash your clay up and give it another go. On your next go, try keeping the walls a bit thicker and think about pinching the clay up rather than outwards.

Dry and Share

Dry your pot slowly
Wrap it loosely in the plastic bag. Drying slowly prevents cracks.

You know it is dry when it is slightly lighter and looks dusty. Put any extra clay in your plastic bag to store and keep soft to make more pinch pots.

Share your work

You can share your clay creations with us by emailing a photo to [email protected]or upload them to social media with the hashtag #BrutalBeauty, tagging us @HeadwayELondon and @BarbicanCentre.

Me, Headway, Dubuffet and art brut

Submit to Love Studios member Chris Miller shares the impact art has had on his life following his stroke, and reflects on the work of Dubuffet and art brut.

After having a stroke nine years ago I started going to Headway East London, a charity for brain-injured people like me. I went into the art studio there and Michelle, the manager, said that I could come in any time. I replied that I didn’t do art, as I was told at secondary school that I wasn’t any good at it, but she is quite persuasive, and I still do art today. It has become an important part of how see myself. I am an artist - an outsider or art brut artist perhaps - but an artist nonetheless. Making art has been a key part of how I have come to terms with my new identity after having a stroke. It has been for me a physical and mental therapy, or a “discovery through art”, to quote the motto of Headway’s art studio, Submit to Love.

Me as Venus by Chris Miller

Me as Venus by Chris Miller

Very soon after the Second World War, the artist Jean Dubuffet started collecting art made by patients of mental health hospitals, prisoners, and others unconnected to the art world. He saw that some of the art they produced had not just a therapeutic value for the patient or prisoner, but had a value as works of art themselves. He called what he collected art brut – raw, uncooked art. My art has a therapeutic purpose too; it is an inner exploration of my changed identity. But it is also a way of expressing to my family, friends, and wider society how I feel about this new identity. How I think about this category of untutored art brut then is not just an intellectual debate for me; it is about how I see and define myself. To use an ugly phrase (and Dubuffet celebrated the seemingly ugly) I have got some skin in the game.

Read the full essay on the Barbican website

Explore more from the exhibition

Discover the Barbican’s collection of articles, videos, and conversations, to learn more about the Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty exhibition and the Art Brut artists.

Listen to our 'Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty' Spotify playlist

Shop

Browse Submit to Love Studios' collection in the Barbican Shop featuring prints, stationery, tote bag, and t-shirt.

What Happens... Tote Bag by Tony Allen

What Happens... Tote Bag by Tony Allen

With thanks

Thanks to Headway East London staff and the following members for all their work on this resource: Angela Popo, Billy Mann, Chris Miller, Claudine Roux, Errol Drysdale, Firoza Choudhury, Ken Hazeldine, Lewis Unwin, Mathan Selvarajah, Mike Hoyle, Mike Poole, Sam Jevon, Sandra Lott, Simon Letchford, and Tirzah Mileham.

Thanks also to Accumulate, City of London Age UK, The Garden School, The Sydney Rusell School, and Aleesha Nandra for collaborating on the activities within this resource.

We are very grateful for the generosity of the supporters that make this work possible, including Arts Council England; John S Cohen Foundation and Wellcome; the Barbican Patrons; contributors to the Barbican Fund; and all who donate when purchasing a ticket and visiting the Barbican.

You can support more of this work by making a donation at barbican.org.uk/donate


List of Artists in  'Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty'

Aloïse, Maurice Baskine, Gaston Chaissac, Fleury-Joseph Crépin, Jean Dubuffet, Gaston Duf., Auguste Forestier, Madge Gill, Joaquim Vicens Gironella, Miguel Hernandez, Jan Krížek, Sylvain Lecocq, Augustin Lesage, Laure Pigeon, Henri Salingardes, Scottie Wilson, Adolf Wölfli.