CESAR BALDACCINI (France 1921-1998)

More often referred to as Cesar, he was a notable French sculptor at the forefront of the Nouveau Realisme movement with his radical compressions in metal, discarded automobiles or even rubbish, his expansions (polyurethane foam) and fantastical representations of animals and insects.

After studying at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Marseille, he went on to the Ecoles des Beaux Arts in Paris and in 1952 began making sculptures by welding pieces of scrap metal together, forging a certain reputation for himself early on.

His first one-man exhibition was in 1954.

By 1960 Cesar was considered one of France’s leading sculptors. That same year, when visiting a scrap merchant, he saw a hydraulic crushing machine in operation which led to him experimenting with it in his sculptures. At first experimenting with crushed cars, he later went on to crush jewellery and soda cans to name but two. These works became known as “Compressions”, for which Cesar became renowned.

Later that year, he joined the Nouveau Realistes which already had Arman, Klein, Raysse, Tinguely and others as members, all of whom found inspiration in urban life.

In 1965 he started to work with plastics, at first with moulds of human imprints, then, from 1966, by pouring polyurethane, which then expanded and solidified.

He is the creator of the Cesar du cinema, a trophy which is awarded to the best in French cinema.

In 1978 he was made Chevalier of the Legion d’Honneur and promoted to Officier in 1993.