Demie Tasse - Blue, 1990; Limoges Porcelain; Stamped signature and number to underside of each multiple element "Artes Magnus "Demi Tasse" Arman 105B/175 Fait a la main Limoges France"; Published by Artes Magnus; 21 - Piece breakfast service includes: Tea Pot (9½ x 9 x 4"), Creamer (7 x 5 x 2½"), Sugar Bowl, 6 Cups & 6 Saucers (Cup 2 x 4 x 2½"), and 6 Side Plates (1 x 9"); Includes All Original Boxes.
New Realism was an art movement that started in France in 1960 with Pierre Restany writing it's original manifesto which proclaimed: "Nouvea Realisme - new ways of perceiving the real." This group of artists was interested in new ways in which to create art, and in the process subvert the status quo. The artist Arman was one of the original founding members and he was known for his "accumulations" and for his destruction/recomposition of ordinary objects. Objects were transformed by slicing, smashing, or burning them in order to further activate the form and therefore present them in an entirely new state.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines demitasse as ": a small amount of black coffee that is served in a small cup; also : the cup used to serve it." In French the term literally means "half cup." With this work Arman has taken the literal meaning and made a true half cup, which is keeping with one of his main working styles; slicing objects in half to transform them. Not only was the cup cut in half, but all the individual tea set pieces including the tea pot, creamer, sugar bowl, side plates, and the saucers for the cups. Arman made two variants of the "Demie Tasse," 1990 tea set; one was all white and the other had the cut side painted blue. It is this blue variant (lettered B after the edition number) that I consider to be the superior work; as it accentuates the cuts made to each of the twenty-one serving pieces. This tea set is not just a beautiful sculpture, but a usable tea set!
Underside of the tea cup (all individual pieces share the same stamps) with Artes Magnus stamp, title, Arman signature, edition number, and maker stamp.
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