Ecole de Nice

ARMAN

After attending the School of Fine Art and graduating from the Louvre, Arman realised that painting a canvas is unreal and impalpable. So he began a number of studies based on a central object, capturing on his canvas impressions of stamps, seals, and printed letters, exhibiting his work in 1957 at the Gallerie de La Roue in Paris.

He then realised that these objects could replace his brushes. In 1959, he held an exhibition entitled "Allure D'Objets" in Milan on which J. Brisso based a film with music by Pierre Schaeffer. Objects such as marbles, bed springs, pebbles etc; were dipped in paint and left patterns as they were guided accross a canvas.

At times his images became violent as displayed in "Colere D'Objets" (the anger of objects), an exhibition in Milan 1960 and "Colere D'Arman" (the anger of Arman). These came in the form of a cello or a coffee grinder on a wooden board or a dismembered body that had fallen from the sixth floor of a building into a courtyard. But Arman did not rely on music or people, if he kept the body, exposed as it was, it was to retain its artistic presence; rather than being overlooked. In 1959, Arman accomplished his greatest project by displaying a jumbled collection of "trash-cans" for what they really are.

From here, his individual ideas expanded, producing magnificent creations such as "Cesar's Compressions".

When Yves Klein, his childhood friend died, Arman took over leadership of the Ecole de Nice.