Join The Collection to save, track, and explore works like this.

Jean Fautrier — Ba Be Bi Bo Bu
Jean Fautrier

Ba Be Bi Bo Bu

A richly textured surface of thick, impasto-like oil and pigment builds up a central, amorphous form that hovers between figuration and pure abstraction. Fautrier's muted, chalky palette of creams, grays, and soft earth tones evokes a sense of fragile materiality, the paint applied in dense, tactile layers that seem almost sculptural. The work's playful, phonetic title stands in quiet contrast to the raw, somber physicality of its surface.

Medium
oil and pigment on paper laid on canvas

🔨 Auction Lot

20th Century & Contemporary Art Evening Sale

June 27, 2016

Start the Discussion

Request access to join the discussion

About this work

Jean Fautrier, Ba Be Bi Bo Bu

A richly textured surface of thick, impasto-like oil and pigment builds up a central, amorphous form that hovers between figuration and pure abstraction. Fautrier's muted, chalky palette of creams, grays, and soft earth tones evokes a sense of fragile materiality, the paint applied in dense, tactile layers that seem almost sculptural. The work's playful, phonetic title stands in quiet contrast to the raw, somber physicality of its surface.

Medium
oil and pigment on paper laid on canvas
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

Mid-Twentieth Century, Gestural Marks, Contemplative Mood, Lyrical Abstraction, Muted Palette, Male Artist, Gestural Painting, Mixed Media, French Artist, Abstract Painting, Paper On Canvas, Muted Tones, Abstract Expressionism, Gestural Abstraction, Oil And Pigment, Art Informel, Neutral Tones, Modern Master, Mid-Century Art

More works by Jean Fautrier