What If?

Metropolis:
Artist Research

Jean
Arp

About him:
Jean Arp was a successful German-French abstract
artist. He was born on September 16, 1886, in
Strassburg, German Empire (now Strasbourg,
France). And he died on June 7, 1966, in Basel,
Switzerland.
He was known as Jean Arp, but also as Hans Arp.
This is because when he spoke German, he refered
to himself as Hans, but when he spoke French, he
refered to himself as Jean.
Arp was a sculptor, a painter and a poet. He was
best known for being one of the founders of the
Dada movement in 1916. He was the leader of the
Abstraction-Creation Group in Paris, 1930s. And he
was also a member of the American Abstract Artist
group.

Arps Inspirations:
Arp was influenced by the Expressionist artists group
Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) by some Modern Art
artists such as Wassily Kandinsky and Pablo Picasso.
His first wife, Sophie Taeuber, was his primary
collaborator and also his inspiration. During that period,
Arp started painting and creating collages in which he
was inspired by forms found in the nature.
He was also associated with the Surrealism and the
Constructivism.

Arps Style:
Almost all his works are sculputures made of bronce, stone and
marble. And in these sculputures he always represents the
organic forms he found in the natural world. Growth and
fecundity are his main themes.
Arps scultures have hard edges, shaper angles and straight
lines. But the most important characteristic is that the elements
of his works can be pick up for re-doing another different work.
Apart from this, the paintings, collages, essays and poetry are
also important characteristics of his style.
Bass-relieves.
Mixed works.
Its always an experiment with abstract form and colour in two
and three dimensions.

Works

Scultures

Famous quotes
Since the time of the cavemen, man has glorified himself, has made himself divine, and his
monstrous vanity has caused human catastrophe. Art has collaborated in this false
development. I find this concept of art which has sustained mans vanity to be loathsome.
We do not wish to copy nature. We do not want to reproduce, we want to produce. We want to
produce as a plant produces a fruit and does not itself reproduce. We want to produce directly
and without meditation. As there is not the least trace of abstraction in this art, we will call it
concrete art.
A painting or sculpture not modeled on any real object is every bit as concrete and sensuous
as a leaf or a stone (but) it is an incomplete art which privileges the intellect to the
detriment of the senses ..art must be like) fruit that grows in man, like a fruit on a plant or a
child in its mothers womb.
In the good times of Dada, we detested polished works, the distracted air of spiritual
struggle, the titans, and we rejected them with all out being.
Dada was given the Venus of Milo a clyster and has allowed the Laocon and his sons to rest
awhile, after thousands of years of struggle with the good sausage Python. The philosophers
are of less use to Dada than an old toothbrush, and it leaves them on the scrap heap for the
great leaders of the world.

Bibliography:
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/jean-arp-hans-arp-667
https://www.artsy.net/artist/jean-arp
http://www.moma.org/collection/artists/11
http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/sculpture/jean-arp.htm
http://www.quotes-famous-artists.org/hans-jean-arp-fa
mous-quotes