Bain d'ombre 1959

Jean Dubuffet made this lithograph titled Bain d'ombre, or Shadow Bath, in 1959. It’s almost entirely monochromatic, but within that range, there’s a whole universe of variation. The surface of the work feels rough, like peering at an asphalt street, its pitted surface reflecting the light in a speckled kind of way. It feels like Dubuffet built this up layer by layer, maybe even scraping back into the surface in places. See that vertical mark near the top left, like a streak of light or a tear in the dark fabric of the image? It's like a momentary disruption, a glimpse behind the curtain. This piece reminds me of other artists who weren’t afraid to get down and dirty with their materials. You might think of Antoni Tàpies, who built up surfaces with sand and glue, or even Alberto Burri with his burnt plastics and burlap sacks. What all these artists share is a love of the materiality of the world and an understanding that beauty can be found in the most unexpected places.