A.C.M. (France, 1951-2023), Alfred Corinne Marie said

Depressed, he destroyed most of his works and attempted suicide. In 1974, he met Corinne, who became his partner, and two years later, the couple moved into the former weaving mill that had belonged to Francis’s father, who had gone bankrupt years earlier. While restoring the building, A.C.M. resumed his artistic work. Completely absorbed by his creations, it was Corinne who served as the link between him and the outside world. At first very reluctant to let his works leave his studio, he gradually agreed to participate in exhibitions. His works are now internationally renowned. They are part of the Beaubourg collection, the LAM collection, and various private collections.

A.C.M.’s sculptures consist of meticulous assemblages of small metal, electronic, and plastic parts taken from typewriters, transistors, alarm clocks, and timepieces—parts that have been cleaned, sanded, painted, and then weathered by acid, rust, and plaster. In this way, he creates imaginary machines and architectural structures populated by strange characters and fantastical animals. Often reworked through a process that alternates between construction and oxidation, some of his works are in a state of constant evolution and take on an almost organic quality.