Rinçage, Graissage (Carwash, Oilchange) 1962

Jean Dubuffet made *Rinçage, Graissage* with paint, and maybe some other stuff mixed in there, on canvas. The painting's surface is alive with scrubby marks and smeared colors – reds, blues, greens – like he was wrestling with the canvas, trying to pin down some elusive thought. I see a kind of organized chaos, figures and vehicles jammed together. He probably thought about a carwash, but he was really thinking about… everything? Look how the layers of paint build up, creating a rough texture that begs to be touched. I imagine Dubuffet approaching the canvas with a kind of primal energy, letting his subconscious guide his hand. That one stroke of thick, white paint slashing across the top – it's like a lightning bolt of inspiration, cutting through the noise. Dubuffet reminds us that painting is about embracing the raw, messy, imperfect aspects of life. Painting is a conversation and Dubuffet is a guy who's got something to say.