Jean Dubuffet, the French painter and sculptor regarded as one of the first promoters of this “primitive art” (as he called it), repeatedly emphasised the role of instinct, wildness, and the sheer need for creative frenzy in the act of artistic creation.

"There is no art without intoxication. But it must be mad intoxication! Madness! Away with reason! Frenzy to the highest degree!"

In this way, a place among Art Brut creators was opened for individuals previously excluded from the art world – untrained primitivists, people with mental illnesses, and those with intellectual disabilities. Importantly, their art gained full recognition and, paradoxically, made its way into galleries and auction houses.

Dubuffet also highlighted the role of the child’s mind – its independence and freedom from artistic restrictions:

"Children, far more than adults, remain free from the constraints imposed by the authority of respected art and they do what amuses them without concern as to whether it entertains others. They feel freed from the obligation to praise beauty, from the necessity of perfect or correct action, and they are allowed everything (…). Social and legal contexts do not apply to children; they are asocial, alienated – and such should be the artist."

In light of these words, other terms better capture and explain the essence of Art Brut – Raw or Rough Art, Outsider Art, or perhaps most fittingly, Visionary Art. Thus, children as creators, expressing themselves despite a lack of technical knowledge and artistic experience, serve as an unsurpassed model for the Art Brut artist as defined by Dubuffet. Their naturalness – both in the choice of artistic techniques and in the subject matter of their “works” – is truly spontaneous and primal… perhaps even visionary…

Kindergarten No. 2 in Lublin, ‘Squirrels’ group
The World Through a Preschooler’s Eyes – The Youngest Art Brut Artists

On view: 15 May – 1 June  2023
Exhibition closing event (finissage): 1 June 2023, 17:00