Jean Dubuffet’s “Group of Four Trees” in front of 1 Chase Manhattan Plaza don’t really look like trees: they don’t have leaves or roots, and are made of concrete. This abstract sculpture, 40 feet tall, consists of organic forms arranged to remind the pedestrian of a forest. Commissioned by David Rockefeller in 1972, the Trees breaks from the rigidity of rectilinear skyscrapers which surround the plaza. Dubuffet’s abstract work, known as “l’art brut (art in raw),” uses organic shapes formed by lines. His sculptures are three-dimensional representations of his paintings and drawings. Dubuffet worked in France until his death, but lived in Greenwich Village for several years, where he used trash and found objects to create sculptures.
