See also: Ben, Vautier

Ben , of his true name Benjamin Vautier , is an artist French of origin Suisse, born the July 18th 1935 with Naples in Italy. He lives and works with Nice.

Member of the group Fluxus, Ben is a major artist of the avant-garde artistic Frenchwoman as from the years 1960, known for his performances, installation S and Peinture S. It becomes known general public to leave the years 1990, through in particular its “writings” declined in various forms.

Biography

He saw part of his childhood with Istambul and arrives at Nice at 14 years. He lives and works on the heights of Saint-Pancrace, name of the hill niçoise or one can admire his house, which is distinguished from the vicinity by its style rough Art. It defines itself its art like “an art of appropriation”, informant:

“I systematically seek to sign all that was not it. I believe that art is in the intention and that it is enough to sign. I thus sign: the holes, the boxes mysteries, the kicks, God, the hens, etc I will be very jealous of Manzoni which signs the shit and which will steal me the idea of the alive sculptures. ”

At the end of the Years 1950, it opens with Nice a small shop with which it decorates the frontage with an accumulation of heteroclite objects and in which it sells discs of occasion. In its shop or rather on the pavement the principal members find themselves of what will be called the École of Nice: César, Arman, Martial Raysse, Sosno, etc Proche to Yves Klein and allured by the Nouveau realism, it develops the idea that “art must be new and bring a shock”.

At the beginning of the Years 1960, it joined the group Fluxus and publishes many texts.

At the beginning of the Years 1980, with the return of Berlin, it meets young artists (Combas, Di Rosa, François Boisrond, etc, of which it baptizes the Free movement Figuration, movement of characterized representational art, in particular, by the absence of the compliance with the rules of the traditional figuration, the use of heteroclite materials and unmatched colors.

It regularly reveals in its tickets (in the review Art Junction , in its expos or on its Web site) the hidden side of the world felted of the Contemporary art and the intrigues of the personalities (institutional, galerists, artists, etc) of the world of art, and gives its point of view on the political news and cultural.

Ben also published several poetic collections, in the spirit of the Beat Generation. He also took part in the drafting of the Key , atlas ethno-linguistics in particular written by members and sympathizers, like Ben, of the nationalist Parti occitan.

He lives and works since many years on the heights of Saint-Pancrace, hill niçoise or its house, chief of work of rough Art, is pointed out in the vicinity.

Examples of works

• the word, the thought, the slogan and the writing are at the base of its work. The Ben writing became his trademark and of recognition.
• In 2004 and 2005, it drew some of the French current postage stamps (“This is an invitation”, “large a mercy”).
• It was selected to create graphics accompanying the stations by new the Tramway of Nice, brought into service in November 2007. It wishes that be created in Nice a Festival of the musics occitanes.

Works

• No art without truth , 1990
• Ben, my life and my conneries , 2000
• I seek the truth… , with MAMAC Nice, Flammarion, 2001
• Poetries, prose and ruminations , 2002
• I emmerde art , Z' Editions, 2002
• Fluxus , Z' Editions, 2003
• Frederic Altmann , with Jacques Simonelli and Georges Vercheval, 2003

Ethnisme:

• Handwritten for " the first international ethniste" , 1986
• the ethnism of A to Z: For a new world order , Z' Editions, 1991