Earlier this month, Switzerland-based Galerie Von Vertes presented a dual artist-presentation at PAD London art and design fair, “Jean Dubuffet & George Condo: Architects of Anarchy.” Bringing the work of these two influential artists together, while the fair has since closed, the show is now available to view online through November 15, 2024, tracing the theme of rebellion and experimentation through each respective artists’ work. Featuring works on canvas and paper dated from 1975 through today, “Architects of Anarchy” highlights both the similarities and divergences between the work of Condo and Dubuffet, and how each forged their own path.
Left: George Condo, Untitled (1999). Right: George Condo, The Queen (1984). Courtesy of Galerie von Vertes, Zurich/Freienbach.
French painter and sculptor Jean Dubuffet (1901–1985) is internationally recognized for identifying and coining the term Art Brut, or outsider art, a classification and movement of artmaking defined by its creation by self-taught individuals outside the codified art world. In his own practice, he garnered widespread acclaim for his highly experimental and varied works wherein he eschewed tradition and took inspiration from a wide variety of sources. His prolific output and avant-garde style took the world by storm, solidifying his place as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.
Left: Jean Dubuffet, Site avec 7 Personnages (1981). Right: George Condo, Torro (1984). Courtesy of Galerie von Vertes, Zurich/Freienbach.
Born in the postwar United States, George Condo (b. 1957) is best known for his idiosyncratic approach to figuration, recalling the traditions of Pablo Picasso, with the artist once commenting, “I describe what I do as psychological Cubism.” Evoking a sense of the uncanny and otherworldly, Condo’s imaginative compositions push the boundaries of representation and subverting ideas around beauty and aesthetics.
Left: George Condo, Untitled (1999). Right: George Condo, The Queen (1984)Courtesy of Galerie von Vertes, London.
Juxtaposing Dubuffet’s and Condo’s work within “Architects of Anarchy” offers a new perspective on each respective artist’s practice as well as the trajectory of modern and contemporary aesthetics—names those of rebellion and subversion. Each, in their own way, embraced ideas around alienation and ugliness, counter to prevailing trends that skewed towards beauty and conventionality. Dubuffet and Condo made a point of going against the grain and offered new definitions of what art is and could be—from Dubuffet’s gestural, Outsider Art-inspired drawings to Condo’s psychologically charged characters. Contributing to each artist’s historic importance was their fearless ability to tap styles and techniques outside the mainstream, developing tools that have been taken up by subsequent generations through today.
By bringing the work of these two major artists together, Galerie von Vertes underscores the power of “creating an antithesis of style,” and how the reverberations of their practices can still be felt today.
“Jean Dubuffet & Geroge Condo: Architects of Anarchy” is available online with Galerie Von Vertes through November 15, 2024.