Raymond Hains

Raymond Hains – Nouveau Réalisme
Full name: Raymond Hains

Nationality: French

Artistic Movement: Nouveau Réalisme, Poster Art, Experimental Photography
Artistic Journey

Raymond Hains was one of the founders of Nouveau Réalisme alongside Arman, Yves Klein, César, and Jacques Villeglé. After studying fine arts in Rennes, he developed a passion for photography and visual experimentation. From the late 1940s, he and his friend Villeglé invented a practice based on torn posters collected from the streets, creating works at the intersection of chance and urban life.
In the 1950s–60s, Hains also developed abstract photographs using deforming lenses (“hypnagogoscopes”), playing with blur and distortion. He was interested in language, words, and signs, constantly linking visual art with poetry.
His humor, Dadaist spirit, and taste for unexpected associations established him as a key figure in French contemporary art, internationally recognized for transforming urban debris into poetic material.
Major Works

Torn Posters (with Jacques Villeglé, from 1949) – Posters collected from public spaces, framed as artworks, symbolizing Nouveau Réalisme.
La France déchirée (Torn France) (1953) – Torn poster presented as a political and social metaphor.
Hypnagogoscopes (1948–1950) – Experimental photographs through fluted glass, producing distortion effects.
La Villette (1961) – Poster collage reflecting his engagement with urban space.
Palissades (1990s) – New explorations of urban surfaces, always using everyday materials.
Style and Influences
Inspired by Dadaism and Surrealism, Hains made chance and found objects central to his practice.
Torn posters serve as both urban memory and visual palimpsest, condensing the street, time, and society.
A passionate lover of words, he saw each poster as an opportunity for language play and visual poetry.
His humor and critical spirit distinguished him among the Nouveau Réalistes, always blurring the boundaries between art and life.
Quotes

“I do not tear the posters, I collect them.”
“Chance is my accomplice.”