Career
Writing in the British Journal of in 2014, Brennavan Sritharan claimed "Arnatt has a case for being one of the most influential British artists and photographers of his generation, pushing the boundaries of his mediums and going on to be a chief influence on the likes of Martin Parr and Paul Graham.. In his lifetime, Arnatt’s reputation waxed and waned, but in recent years the enormous value and innovation in his work has become clear." Arnatt"s work is referred to by the art historian Charles Townsend Harrison as ".. developing during the mid "60s from a concern with Minimal paintings and sculptures posing gestalt problems, through involvement with elements of behaviour and performance to works often sited out of doors involving suspension or interruption of the spectator"s expectations." Arnatt"s works, associated with conceptual art came to prominence in the late 1960s. A number of works from this period, including Self-Burial (Television Interference Project) (1969) and Trouser-Word Piece (1972-1989 version) are in the Tate collection.
Arnatt took part in a number of influential exhibitions of conceptual art including "Konzeption-Conception, Städtichen Museum, Leverkusen", 1969.
"Information", Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1970. "Umwelt-Akzente / Die Expansion der Kunst", Kunstkreis Monschau, 1970 and "Art as Idea in England", CAYC (Centro de Arte y Comunicación), Buenos Aires, 1971.