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Arman

Violon fendu

c. 1990

Bronze

56.5 cm

Ed. /20

Location: Vincennes, France

https://www.artransfer.com/web/image/product.template/27296/image_1920?unique=ea4519c

10,260 € 10260.0 EUR 10,260 €

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About the artwork

This sculpture presents a deconstructed violin form, cast in bronze and mounted on a dark marble base. The instrument appears to be split vertically into multiple segments, which are then slightly splayed apart, revealing the interior structure and creating a dynamic, almost explosive effect. The polished bronze surface reflects light, emphasizing the angular cuts and the traditional curves of the violin's body and F-holes. The artist frequently used musical instruments, particularly violins and cellos, as subjects for his "coupes" and "colères" series. These works explore the tension between creation and destruction, transforming a functional object into a sculptural statement. The fragmentation of the instrument suggests both a violent act and a reinterpretation of its form, inviting viewers to consider the object's essence beyond its original purpose. The choice of bronze as a medium lends permanence and a classical quality to the deconstructed form. The contrast between the inherent fragility of a wooden instrument and the solidity of bronze highlights the artist's conceptual approach to material and subject matter. The work exemplifies the artist's engagement with the object as a readymade, subject to artistic intervention and recontextualization.

Expert opinion

This work aligns with the Nouveau Réalisme movement's interest in incorporating reality and everyday objects into art, often through processes of accumulation, fragmentation, or destruction. The artist's use of musical instruments as a recurring motif places this piece within a well-documented trajectory of his oeuvre. The market for the artist's bronze sculptures, especially those depicting fragmented instruments, is well-established, with consistent demand from private collectors and institutions.

About the artist

Arman Fernandez, known as Arman, French-American artist born in Nice in 1928, died in New York in 2005. A key figure on the contemporary French art scene and founding member of the Nouveau Réalisme movement, Arman uses the object as the basis for a renewed aesthetic. Famous for his "accumulations" that pile up various manufactured and trivial objects, his work questions consumer society and makes everyday life the infinite reservoir of his compositions. Like an archaeologist, Arman collects and preserves all manner of fetish objects that paint a portrait of our contemporary society. His works can be found in the collections of the greatest museums of modern and contemporary art, including the Centre Pompidou and MoMA.

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