June 1 - July 1, 2008
|
ARMAN
France
Arman’s full name is Fernandez Armand Pierre. He was born in Nice, France from November 17th 1928. From 1946 to 1949 he studied in Nice Fine Arts School, later graduated Asian archeology department of Ecole du Louvre, Paris. It was his close friend Yves Klein who introduced Arman to oriental wrestling, Zen- Buddhism, astrology and other esoteric theories. Arman’s early works are influenced by Serge Poliakoff and Nicolas de Stael. After having acquainted with the artworks of Arman starts working with real objects, creating chaotic compositions from rubber and other imprints.
In 1959 Arman finds a new art-form called assemblage – a number of
objects places in a box with pellucid walls. His first assemblages were filled with daily use objects belonged to his friends and strangers. The new step in experimenting with art forms were so called ‘accumulations’ which later determined all his own artistic style. The essence of this new method was to pace typical objects into the glass case.
Arman first presented debdris as art in his Poubelle (Dustbin) works in 1959. The objects in this piece are from his first wife's bathroom and are mounted on an ornamental base from his father's antique shop. Objects of intimate personal use have been selected precisely because of their base quality, and are literally 'elevated' on a plinth to become art.
Arman raises questions about value, bringing private life into the public domain. Here, he also examines the image of woman constructed by society.
He went on to develop his series Coleres (Anger) which deconstructed objects of beauty, particularly musical instruments. He went on to apply the same techniques to iconic sculptures including the Venus de Milo and Hercule Farnese. There are parallels with the music of Luciano Berio from the 60's, in particular his Simfonia which deconstructs the third movement of Mahler’s Second Symphony in similar fashion.
Among Arman’s best known works are Long Term Parking the 18 m high pile of 59 cars in Jouy-en-Josas, France, and Hope for Peace made of wrecked military vehicles and installed in Beirut's Martyrs' Square.
Arman died in New York in 2005.
Private collection of Arman’s artworks will be brought from New-York specially for Russian Design Show and will be exhibited in the Russian House.
