Alessandro Berni
Jan 8, 2021
Updated: Jan 12, 2021
“I maintain that the expression of junk and objects has an intrinsic value, and I see no need to look for aesthetic forms in them and to adapt them to the colors of the palette.”
Arman
The Secretary is Fired, 1963 @Arman Studio
Artist Biography
Born in Nice in 1928, Armand Pierre Fernandez showed a precocious talent for painting and drawing as a child. The son of an antiques dealer and amateur cellist, the artist absorbed an intense appreciation for music, the art of collecting and the cultivation of discriminating taste from an early age. After studying at the Ecole Nationale des Arts Décoratifs in Nice, Arman decamped to Paris to study art history at the Ecole du Louvre. His work in these early years focused on abstract paintings inspired by the work of Nicolas de Staël. An avid reader, Arman sought inspiration through books and art reviews, as well as during frequent road trips throughout Europe with his artist friends from Nice - Claude Pascale and Yves Klein.
Ainsi, Font, Font, 1960 @Arman Studio
Early on, it was apparent that Arman's concept of the accumulation of vast quantities of the same objects was to remain a significant component of his art. He had originally focused more attention on his abstract paintings, considering them to be of more consequence than his early accumulations of stamps. Little by little, Arman's art started to focus on the object itself, and towards the accumulation of real objects, of society's waste. Starting from 1961, he became interested in découpage and concentrated on numerous bronzes; in 1963 the "Combustions" appeared. Two years later, his art moved towards the assembly of mechanical elements. During the 1970s he continued his experimental research, now devoting his attention to the inclusion of his classic materials on concrete platforms, in technical jargon known as "Beton". In the 1980s, however, the range of his works and techniques expanded. Arman decided to decline and join different execution procedures.
Music Power II, 1986 @Arman Studio
Today, his works are held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Tate Gallery in London, and the Musée d’Art Moderne ed d’Art Contemporain in Nice, among others.
Auction results
1974 @Arman Studio
According to Artprice.net Arman’s turnover in 2020 is $2,656,339 with the last peak in price dated 2008.
Most of his works were sold in the range of $10,000-$50,000.
The oldest auction result ever registered on the website for an artwork by this artist is a sculpture-volume sold in 1983, at Binoche, and the most recent auction result is a painting sold in 2021.
Most of the auctioned works consist of sculpture-volume, print-multiple, painting, drawing-watercolor, furniture, objects, tapestry, photography, ceramic, lightings.
Distribution by price (by Artprice)
9 art works by the artist will soon be available in auction rooms.
Biography - Official Website of ARMAN (armanstudio.com)
Arman (Armand Pierre Fernandez) - Bassi Art Gallery