l'Heureux de peu (Happy with Little) 1957

Editor: This is Jean Dubuffet’s, "l'Heureux de peu (Happy with Little)," created in 1957. It’s a mixed-media collage, and it strikes me as… well, rather raw in its materiality. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a powerful statement on the value of humble materials and processes. Dubuffet, within the Art Informel movement, champions the everyday, the discarded. This piece, made from what appear to be scraps and mixed media, challenges our traditional understanding of 'high' art materials, wouldn't you say? Editor: Absolutely. The textures are incredible – almost tactile. What's the significance of using collage, a process so closely tied to craft, rather than, say, oil paint, for a portrait? Curator: It’s a deliberate disruption of hierarchy. Collage, a typically ‘lower’ form of production, becomes the very means through which a ‘high’ art subject, the portrait, is presented. Consider how the labor of assemblage and the materiality of the collage become central to the meaning. It rejects the notion of art as some refined skill, and instead finds beauty in the immediate act of making. What does the title “Happy with Little” mean in this context, do you think? Editor: Maybe it's about finding contentment in the simplicity of the materials, reflecting a society's values and the beauty found in modest means. Curator: Precisely. The figure embodies a sort of everyman, created from the very fabric of ordinary existence. It elevates the quotidian, urging us to reconsider what we deem valuable, not just in art, but also in life. The means of making embodies its message. Editor: That's given me a lot to think about. I never considered how the materials themselves could be such a strong political statement. Curator: Exactly. It's a great way to appreciate Dubuffet: through this careful consideration of process, materials, and their broader context.