The Art of Arman: lyrical abstract painter and sculpter of the readymade

November 22, 2013 10:06 AM

Arman, a French-born American artist (given the name Armand Fernandez at birth, later taking the American civil name Armand Pierre Arman) was a notable as both a painter and a sculpter. In his paintings, he moved objects through ink or paint to make the works, while his sculptures consist of "accumulations" and/or destruction/recomposition of objects. On the larger scale, he constructed the Hope for Peace monument (WikiMapia) and Long Term Parking. You can read about Arman on his official site, ArtNet, and The Art Story.
posted by filthy light thief (3 comments total)

His studio was up the street from me.. It was pretty much an outdoor space with high corrugated metal fence around it. Now it is the Arman, an accumulation of very expensive condos.

Not only did he make objects that were accumulations but he was also a huge accumulator aka collector. His collection of African Art is considered one of the most beautiful in the world, as was/is his vast collection of Japanese arms and armor.
posted by snaparapans at 11:20 AM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]

snaparapans, that's fascinating! Well, more the second part, not so much the expensive condos.

Here are two more articles on Arman's African Art collection: African Faces, African Figures: The Arman Collection, a short summary of Arman's collection, and Arman’s Legacy: An Interview with Corice Canton Arman, The Arman Trust.

As for his/their collection of Japanese arms and armor, here's a New York Times article on the collection, and that's the most I've seen around.
posted by filthy light thief at 12:30 PM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]

nice link, filthy light thief, on the arms collection... thanks.. had not seen it.. or anything on the subject.
posted by snaparapans at 12:43 PM on November 22, 2013