Smoking Cherries 

Editor: Looking at this piece, "Smoking Cherries" by Jean Dubuffet, which seems to be a mixed-media work perhaps using "matter painting" techniques, I find myself drawn to the ambiguity. It feels chaotic yet controlled, if that makes sense. I wonder, what social narratives do you think Dubuffet is trying to engage with here? Curator: The notion of "chaos" as controlled really resonates. Dubuffet's work, especially his "matter paintings," often challenged conventional beauty standards. In the post-war era, the focus shifted toward materials that carried more symbolic weight – earthy, raw, almost "ugly." How do you think the incorporation of materials and fumage might challenge perceptions of elitist, or "high" art? Editor: I see what you mean. It is almost aggressively anti-glamour. The roughness feels like a deliberate rejection of refinement. It makes you question what art should even be about. Do you think the imagery relates to social class? Curator: Absolutely. There's an anti-establishment stance embedded here. The "everyday" materials, even refuse, used in his work directly critiqued the art world's obsession with luxury and polish. Consider the post-war sentiment: a need to rebuild, a disillusionment with pre-war values. Do you read this anti-establishment position as social critique, political commentary, or something else? Editor: I think it's a combination. The fact that he uses smoke to create texture is interesting. Is there any symbolic intention behind using something as volatile as smoke? It might be an anti-establishment stance, perhaps? Curator: Yes, think about impermanence, the fleeting nature of life and the ephemerality of art itself. It becomes a political gesture – rejecting the idea of art as a static, timeless object. That volatility suggests a resistance to fixed meaning, aligning with post-structuralist thought. What does this idea of impermanence, resistance, and volatility signify for contemporary practices? Editor: I'm starting to see how his choice of materials and process directly reflect a wider social and political unease. I will think of this approach in relation to social identity when viewing other works of art. Thanks. Curator: Indeed. Hopefully, this inspires thinking beyond aesthetics to broader contextual relevance of "ugliness" and how artists reclaim spaces and narratives!