Arman

Arman – School of Nice / Nouveau Réalisme
Full Name: Armand Pierre Fernandez
Place of Birth: Nice, France
Education: École des Arts Décoratifs, Nice
Movement: Nouveau Réalisme, School of Nice
Influences: Pablo Picasso, César, Jean Tinguely
Artistic Career
Arman began his career in the 1950s as a painter, exploring abstract forms and colors. By the early 1960s, he shifted to assemblage and accumulation, creating sculptures from everyday objects, which became the hallmark of his work. A founding member of Nouveau Réalisme, he collaborated with contemporaries such as Yves Klein, César, and Martial Raysse, seeking to reflect modern consumer society and its mass-produced objects. Arman’s work spans sculpture, installation, and public monuments, often exploring repetition, accumulation, and destruction of objects as a means of artistic expression.
Major Works
Accumulations of Violins (1960s–1970s) – Sculptural works composed of repeated musical instruments, highlighting both form and societal symbolism.
Long Term Parking (1990) – Installation of over 60 crushed cars, exemplifying his approach to mass-produced objects and urban life.
Colonne de fer (1960s) – Vertical sculptures made of stacked metal objects, exploring repetition and geometry.
Poubelles Accumulées – Series of trash-can sculptures reflecting everyday urban consumption and waste.
Quote
“Objects are the witnesses of our civilization.”