Arman Pierre Fernandez(b.1928)-A Speaker for Contemporary Sculpture

Arman, born at Nice of France in 1928, is one of few living artists to be inducted in western art history. In November 1991, President Mitterrand of France conferred him Order of the Knighthood for his artistic achievements in Palais de 1' Eiysee in Paris, and he was further awarded the France National Medal of Honor in 1993. His creative style features a combination of accumulation upon having those objects cut off, with the objects ranging from musical instrument, sculptured statute of Greek mythology, furniture, automobile and motorcycle, tool, watch and clock to daily articles. By means of artistic creation. Arman has preserved familiar and consumable articles obtaining from daily life in different ways and given all things with new aspects and meanings, and, further, explored the potential functions objects have possessed. Arman has those articles presented a sense of quantity by applying skills of repeat and duplication upon being segmented, disassembled and accumulated, that’s why his works always as the accumulation for human life and emotions. Arman's colossal works often come in sight at important plazas in big cities around the globe, for example, his 18-meter high "Long Term Parking" exhibited in Chateau du Montcel in Jouy-en-Josas in 1982, which is a commemorative sculpture by having 60 automobiles nailed with 2000 tons of concrete. In 1984 his 3-meter high "A la Republique" was placed in front of the presidential office in Palais de 1' Elysee in Paris. Two of Arman's works were displayed in Gare St-Larzare of Paris:5-meter high "L'Heure de tous" placed in front of Cour du Havre, and 5-meter high "Consigne a vie" in front of Cour de Rome. The 32-meter high "Hope for Peace", a 1995 commenmorative sculpture by having 83 tanks put inside 6000 tons of concrete, is currently displayed in once war-ridden Beirut of Lebanon. By transforming articles(such as clock, luggage and tank)into antiques, those Arman's works of accumulation witness no lapse of time as objects are in hiding for the past and already inundated in polyester and concrete when they are taken into the sculptures of combination of accumulation, while each moment in history will be covered by current time and cabinets in which articles put at present will turn into relics immediately. Deem himself as a cultural witness, Arman has turned into a witness for the past at the time when having articles preserved in unique methods.
 
Arman's father was antiques trader in Nice of France, who was also an amateur artist as well as a cellist from whom Arman learned oil painting skills, who gave him inspiration to show love toward music and preference for musical instruments. Besides, Arman's father was also a photographer. In early 1950's, Arman created numbers of photo works when he started to show an inclination in selecting "accumulative" still-life objects: a pile of ropes, a bundle of reeds, and wooden barrels stacked in ports, etc. Arman has shown an early preference for pluralization. In 1950's, Arman had cachets tinged with printing-used inks in colors and conducted direct compositional sketch to produce humorous-shape works of simple creation with flashing, colorful an poetic effects. This series of "cachets" demonstrate a strong allover-style of Jackson Pollock( 1912-56).
  
During 1960s, Arman had objects(spiral spring, string ball, artificial pearl necklace, pebbles)tinged with paints to make rolling over painting papers and plain canvas while objects are written on papers in natural ways (overlap, concentricity and stack)to constitute lines of natrural rhythm, thus creating what called "Les Allures d'Objects", during which Arman further had violins or violas nailed on boards  according to certain are lines to form works of relief by segmenting them in a combination way of esthetics with provocation. Even, Arman accomplished "Coleres de contrebasse, 1961" by destroying one piece of cello directly in front of the telecamera when shooting documentary film in NBC. As the world was going declined swiftly, Arman transmitted a desperate message toward the material world with his works. In a word, his works revealed a sense of beauty in tragic colors during 60's.
                                                                                 
In 1970's , Arman grew a great interest in daily articles and industrial objects, i.e.those ones out of use, non-cycled by consumers, rusty patina for years and damaged by being overused by people but still with a sense of human inspiration(e.g.coffee kettle, china, shoes, fan blade, furniture and musical instrument). Arman had those objects released from their original status by breaking, segmenting and burning them, making them breaking away from their bestowed functions in conventional society. In mid-70s, Arman took musical instrument again as his theme of creation by having shapes of violins imprinted on painting paper or canvas, further bringing out a more delicate non-aggressive works than his earlier works of relief.
 
Arman kept on taking musical instrunments made of patina as theme of creation in 1980's b having them segmented and accumulated. His 1985 work "Music Power" clearly sees a re-creation of musical rhythm and melody through processes of sculpture by having musical instruments blended and re-created, leading us to feel an emergence of music while gazing on those broken pieces of patina. In mid-80's. Arman also had those sculptured patina statutes of Greek mythology disassembled to create his theme of arts, such as he had the statute of Hercules segmented diagonally to generate an extension of the mighty power; sometimes, he combined the segmented patina instruments with disassembled statute of Greek mythology to form one of his artistic trademark in sculpture.
  
Entering 1990's, Arman had tubes of paints in similar colors squeezed on painting canvas or even on piano through passionate body movement that brought his works an amazing vitality. During mid-1990's,he again had sculptured statute of Greek mythology segmented by further giving a combination with the concept of "open door" and "close door" to have them bolted to the rotary button on the rim of windows, e.g.his works "Guitare decoup" (1995), "Force Divisee"(1995)and "Zeus Labyrinth"( 1995), making his audience to experience processes of disassembling and combination when facing those sculptures. Arman also had designed few tables and chairs of unrivaled sight made of soundboard, fingerboard and string from violin through accumulation skills by having them arranged in permutation favored by artists. Imagination and originality enabled Arman to transform inevitable chairs and tables into articles in a combination of music, arts and life in one. Arman's arts have thus motivated us to explore marvels and interest in our daily life.
 
In 2000, Arman further conquered Taiwan's arts admirers with his artistic charms by displaying one giant sculpture "Music Power"(280 cm) featuring an artistic field of power in a solid esthetics, leading every one to seem to hear a concerto. "Music Power" was not only a thematic work at Taipei International Art Fair 2000, but also enjoyed popular confidence and was sent to Taipei National Music Hall for an exhibit.
  
From the first second at the opening of Shanghai International Arts Fair 2001, Arman's "Being Beautous" became a topic of attention for those Shanghai people that earned him full of praise. Furthermore, Shanghai media reported ardent advices from many artists who suggested "Being Beautous" to be placed at Shanghai Grand Theatre to perfect the atmosphere. The mighty power of Arman's works has thus become the only alternative for the public arts and spiritual and cultural symbol.
 
Arman was invited to attend Shanghai Art Festival 2002 whose works was exhibited in Shanghai Grand Theatre, within the sculpture of theme "Being Beautous" be placed in the hall of the theater. thus perfectly bringing a harmonious combination with the environmental view.