Arman (1928 - 2005)

Born in Nice in 1928, Armand Pierre Fernandez shows an early talent for painting and drawing. Inspired by Vincent van Gogh, he signs his first works with his first name only and he keeps his whole career, the spelling mistake made by a printer in 1958. He will be "Arman.

This artist, son of an antique dealer and an amateur cellist, quickly develops his skills to appreciate music, the art of collecting and to discriminate tastes. After attending the National School of Decorative Arts in Nice, Arman leaves to Paris to study art history at the Ecole du Louvre.

In these early years, his works focuses on abstract paintings inspired by the work of Nicolas de Staël. As an avid reader, Arman sought inspiration through books and art reviews, as well as when travelling Europe with his artist friends from Nice, Claude Pascale and Yves Klein.

© Formes Utiles, Nov. 2020