This book, published for the exhibition organized by Jean Nouvel at the Fondation Cartier in 2008, offers a conceptual view of César's work. A hundred or so of his seminal works are presented: compressions, expansions and human imprints, as well as his famous scrap metal bestiary, showing how the artist began exploring the formal and expressive possibilities of industrial materials quite early in his career. Gathering nearly 130 color and black and white illustrations along with an essay by Bernard Blistène and an interview between Catherine Millet and Jean Nouvel, this publication reveals the decisive influence of César's work on art today.

Contributors to this publication: Catherine Millet, Bernard Blistène