(Armand Pierre Fernandez) Arman
* 17 11 1928 | Nizza (France)
† 22 10 2005 | New York (USA)
He is one of the great revolutionaries of post-war art. Arman, actually Armand Pierre Fernandez, is one of the co-founders of the group of Nouveaux Réalistes. He secured his place in the history of art with his Accumulations: the accumulation of objects like jugs, cutlery, cogs, ampoules, gas masks, hair clips, pint tubes or brushes into relief-like arrangements in Plexiglas boxes.
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Vita (Armand Pierre Fernandez) Arman
1928
Born on 17 November as Armand Pierre Fernandez in Nice.
1946–49
After completing his school-leaving examinations with a focus on philosophy, he is accepted to study philosophy at the École des arts décoratifs in Nice.
1947
He meets Yves Klein and Claude Pascal in a judo club. He undertakes a journey through Europe with them, visiting Belgium, Germany, England, Italy, Sweden and Spain.
1949
Studies Archaeology and Oriental Art at the École du Louvre, Paris.
1951
Encounter with the French art critic Pierre Restany.
1952
He is conscripted into the military on 24 April and is stationed in Fréjus, where he is assigned to the medical service.
1953
Marriage with Éliane Radigue, with whom he has three children and remains with until 1970.
He is freed from his military service obligations and returns to Nice.
1954
The artist sees and is impressed by works of Kurt Schwitters.
1956
Exhibition in the Paris Galerie du Haut Pavé together with Bernard Jeaume. Here he shows his first Cachets.
1957
He travels in Turkey and Afghanistan.
First solo exhibition in the Galerie La Roue. He assumes the artist name Arman due to a printing error in an invitation card of the Galerie Iris Clert.
1958
He works on the Allures d’Objects, imprints of dyed objects on canvas or paper.
Travel to Iran via Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Turkey.
1959
The first Accumulation is created. This will become typical of his artistic work. These are accumulations of everyday objects of the same kind in Plexiglas containers. He also works on the Poubelles with the contents of bins and wastebaskets.
Exhibition of his works in the Galleria Apollinaire in Milan.
1960
He is the co-founder of the Les Nouveaux Réalistes movement. The Galerie Iris Clert shows the exhibition Le Plein, for which the artist fills the space with a mountain of rubbish.
Through Yves Klein’s brother-in-law, Günther Uecker, he comes into contact with the Düsseldorf-based ZERO artist group with Heinz Mack and Otto Piene.
1961
First solo exhibition in New York. Arman begins his work on the Coupes, objects cut into slices, and the Colères, objects that have been torn apart or trampled upon.
1963
He establishes a second place of residence in New York. First Combustions, burned objects, are created.
1964
Participation in documenta III in Kassel.
1966
First Accumulations of paint tubes in Plexiglas are created.
1967
Arman begins teaching at the University of California in Los Angeles, which he continues to do until the spring of 1968.
1968
Participation in the Biennale di Venezia and in documenta 4 in Kassel.
1971
Marriage with Corice Canton.
1975
Travel to Egypt.
1976
Arman creates an environment for the Biennale di Venezia.
He travels to the People’s Republic of China and visits Moscow.
1982
The sculpture entitled Long Term Parking is created; an 18-metre-high tower, into which sixty cars have been cast.
1984
He receives the commission for an Accumulation of two hundred French flags in bronze for the Hall of Honour of the Élysée Palace.
1988
He visits Venice, Alexandria and Athens.
1989
Is made a Knight in the National Order of the Legion of Honour by French President François Mitterrand.
1991
Portraits of famous composers result from assemblies of music instruments.
1993
Acceptance to the Ordre national de Mérite.
2005
He dies on 22 October in New York.