André-Pierre ARNAL (born 1939) is a French printmaker and painter recognized for his experimental and dynamic approach to abstract art. He played a founding role in the Supports/Surfaces movement, which involved a radical approach emphasizing the materiality of the artwork: its support (canvas, fabric, paper) and surface (paint, texture, marks). Influenced by his long career as a French teacher, Arnal developed a practice that merges painting with writing. His work often incorporates visual elements that evoke the physicality of writing: layered marks, gestural strokes, and the use of syntax and sequencing.
A hallmark of Arnal’s practice is his use of unconventional techniques, such as folding, soaking, and staining the canvas. These methods emerged in the 1960s as he embarked on an independent artistic journey, following his brief period at the Beaux-Arts de Montpellier. Influenced by Matisse, American abstraction, and especially Paul Klee, he embraced techniques that allowed chance and the inherent qualities of materials to shape the creative process. His appreciation for popular art objects led him to integrate them into his work, particularly through his exploration of the monotype technique. In the 1970s, this practice, along with his relationship to language, naturally aligned him with the Supports/Surfaces movement, in which he became an active participant.
Throughout his career, Arnal has gained international recognition for his contributions to contemporary abstraction. His works have been showcased at institutions such as the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. Today, his work is held in numerous public and private collections, including the Musée National d’Art Moderne, the Centre National des Arts Plastiques, and the Fonds National d’Art Contemporain.
