(b. 1928, Nice – 2005, New York)
Arman was a pivotal figure in postwar art, best known for his innovative explorations of object accumulation and destruction. During the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, he became a key member of the Nouveau Réalisme movement, founded by art critic Pierre Restany. This group sought to bridge art and life by recontextualizing everyday objects.
Arman’s work is defined by his use of mass-produced items, which he assembled, compressed, burned, or cast into various media to comment on consumer culture and material excess. His creative series included Accumulations (groupings of familiar objects), Poubelles (trash collections), Inclusions (objects set in resin or plexiglass), Combustions (burnt remnants), and Colères (aggressively smashed or encased items).
He frequently employed musical instruments, both as subject matter and material, reflecting a deep connection to sound and form that also influenced his ventures into goldsmithing. His compositions incorporated not just violins and cellos, but also mundane items like brushes, coins, shoes, watches, and tubes of paint—offering a poetic and sometimes ironic take on modern life.
