Susanna Riva In the heart of Paris's 7th arrondissement, the Fondation Dubuffet hosts a retrospective entitled "Pulsions," dedicated to the last ten years of Jean Dubuffet 's career . The exhibition, open to the public until October 24, brings together more than 150 works —paintings, drawings, lithographs, silkscreens, and illustrated books—donated directly by the artist to the institution starting in 1976, with the exception of the last painting completed on December 1, 1984.
The 'Pulsions' exhibition at the Fondation Dubuffet
Spread across three floors of the building, the exhibition is organized to guide the visitor through a narrative journey from his early post-Hourloupe experiments to his latest explorations of color. Each level features a thematic curation, enriched by explanatory panels and archival photographs of the artist, contextualizing the works within their historical and artistic context.
The three-level path
The ground floor introduces the visitor to a selection of lithographs and silkscreens that show the influence of African masks and comics, recurring elements in Dubuffet's late phase. Moving up to the first floor, the scene shifts to larger paintings , where lines and dots assume a suspended role, a precursor to the final gesture.
The second floor culminates with a series of introspective drawings , a reflection of his precarious health and the need to paint while sitting.
The four thematic sections
The works are grouped into four macro-themes: (1) the re-elaboration of primitive culture (2) the dialogue with the world of comics (3) the search for positive grotesqueness through distorted forms, and (4) the chromatic violence typical of the last series. This subdivision allows us to grasp the continuity and, at the same time, the diversity of Dubuffet's visual language in the last years of his life.
Dubuffet's creative context in his later years (1974-1985)
From 1974 to 1985, the period covered by the retrospective, Dubuffet underwent an intense phase of production despite his advanced age. At 73, with physical limitations that forced him to paint from a chair, he created over 1.500 paintings, more than 1.000 drawings , and approximately twenty different series . After the internationally recognized Hourloupe cycle, which concluded after 12 years, the artist moved towards greater gestural freedom, maintaining a constant boldness in his choice of materials and colors.
The last painting: 'Impulses' (December 1, 1984)
The exhibition's title comes from the last painting Dubuffet completed on December 1, 1984, entitled "Impulses ." Although created late in his career, the painting retains all the gestural energy and freedom of expression that had distinguished his earlier works. Characterized by a combination of vibrant colors and bold lines, the work epitomizes the search for a new language capable of transforming chaos into visually striking signs.
The entire exhibition, curated by Déborah Lehot-Couette, Scientific and Collections Director of the Fondation, presents itself as an immersive journey into the final phase of an artist who continually challenged the boundaries of creativity . For those wishing to delve deeper into Dubuffet's production in recent years, the retrospective offers a unique opportunity to closely observe the materiality of his works and the persistence of an unconditional aesthetic quest.