Benjamin Péret
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Péret was a French poet, Parisian Dadaist and a founder and central member of the French Surrealist movement with his avid use of Surrealist automatism
.
, France on 4 July 1899. He, as a child, acquired little education due to his dislike of school and he instead attended the Local Art School from 1912. He too, however, resigned soon after in 1913 due to his sheer lack of study and willingness to do so. Afterwords he spent a short period of time in a School of Industrial Design before enlisting in the French army's Cuirassiers during the First World War to avoid being jailed for defacing a local statue with paint. He saw action in the Balkans
before being deployed to Salonica, Greece.
During a routine movement of his unit via train, he discovered a copy of the magazine Sic, sitting upon a bench on the station platform, which contained poetry by Apollinaire – sparking his love for the art. During his stay in Greece, towards the end of the war, he suffered from an attack of Dysentery
which led to his repatriation and deployment in Lorraine for the remainder of the war.
After the end of the war he joined the Dada
movement and soon after, in 1921, he published Le Passager du transtlantique – his first book of poetry before he abandoned the Dada movement to follow, instead, André Breton
and the emerging Surrealist movement whereupon he worked alongside, and influencing, the Mexican writer Octavio Paz
.
In the fall of 1924 he was the co-editor of the journal La Révolution surréaliste
, becoming chief editor in 1925. And in 1928, before immigrating to Brazil
in 1929 with his wife Elsie Houston
, he published Le Grand Jeu
. Two years later in 1931, a mere few months after the birth of his first son, Geyser, whilst living in Rio De Janeiro
, he was arrested and expelled from Brazil on grounds of being a 'Communist Agitator' – having formed, with his brother Mario Pedrosa, the Brazilian Communist League which was based upon the ideas of Trotsky.
Having returned to France and buffeted by the winds of politics, he fought in the Spanish Civil War
as a member of the Durruti Column
. He was later imprisoned, in 1940, for his political activities and later released whereupon he sailed for Mexico, with the aid of the American-based Emergency Rescue Committee, to study pre-Columbian myths and American Folklore. He had originally wished to emigrate to the United States although he was unable to do so due to his Communist affiliations. Peret went to Mexico with his lover, the Spanish painter Remedios Varo. In Mexico City he became involved with the European intellectual community living there in exile. Whilst living in Mexico City
Peret met Nathalia Sedova , Trotsky's widow.
He remained in Mexico until the end of 1947. He returned to Paris and died there on 18 September 1959.
1925: Cent cinquante-deux proverbes mis au goût du jour, en collaboration avec Paul Éluard
1927: Dormir, dormir dans les pierres
1928: Le Grand Jeu
1934: De derrière les fagots
1936: Je sublime
1936: Je ne mange pas de ce pain-là
1945: Le Déshonneur des poètes
1945: Dernier Malheur dernière chance
1946: Un point c’est tout
1952: Air mexicain
1955: Le Livre de Chilam Balam de Chumayel
1956: Anthologie de l’amour sublime
1957: Gigot, sa vie, son œuvre
1960: Anthologie des mythes, légendes et contes populaires d’Amérique
Mad Balls. Atlas Press, 1991.
The Automatic Muse. Atlas Press, 1994.
From the Hidden Storehouse (Selected Poems by Benjamin Peret). Oberlin College, 1991.
A Menagerie in Revolt! Selected Writings. Black Swan Press, 2009.
Surrealist automatism
Automatism has taken on many forms: the automatic writing and drawing initially practiced by surrealists can be compared to similar, or perhaps parallel phenomena, such as the non-idiomatic improvisation of free jazz....
.
Biography
Benjamin Péret was born in RezéRezé
Rezé is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.It was also called Ratiate in the Middle Ages and Rezay in the High Middle Ages.Inhabitants of Rezé are called Rezéens.-Panorama:...
, France on 4 July 1899. He, as a child, acquired little education due to his dislike of school and he instead attended the Local Art School from 1912. He too, however, resigned soon after in 1913 due to his sheer lack of study and willingness to do so. Afterwords he spent a short period of time in a School of Industrial Design before enlisting in the French army's Cuirassiers during the First World War to avoid being jailed for defacing a local statue with paint. He saw action in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
before being deployed to Salonica, Greece.
During a routine movement of his unit via train, he discovered a copy of the magazine Sic, sitting upon a bench on the station platform, which contained poetry by Apollinaire – sparking his love for the art. During his stay in Greece, towards the end of the war, he suffered from an attack of Dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
which led to his repatriation and deployment in Lorraine for the remainder of the war.
After the end of the war he joined the Dada
Dada
Dada or Dadaism is a cultural movement that began in Zurich, Switzerland, during World War I and peaked from 1916 to 1922. The movement primarily involved visual arts, literature—poetry, art manifestoes, art theory—theatre, and graphic design, and concentrated its anti-war politics through a...
movement and soon after, in 1921, he published Le Passager du transtlantique – his first book of poetry before he abandoned the Dada movement to follow, instead, André Breton
André Breton
André Breton was a French writer and poet. He is known best as the founder of Surrealism. His writings include the first Surrealist Manifesto of 1924, in which he defined surrealism as "pure psychic automatism"....
and the emerging Surrealist movement whereupon he worked alongside, and influencing, the Mexican writer Octavio Paz
Octavio Paz
Octavio Paz Lozano was a Mexican writer, poet, and diplomat, and the winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature.-Early life and writings:...
.
In the fall of 1924 he was the co-editor of the journal La Révolution surréaliste
La Révolution surréaliste
La Révolution surréaliste was a publication by the Surrealists in Paris. Twelve issues were published between 1924 and 1929....
, becoming chief editor in 1925. And in 1928, before immigrating to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
in 1929 with his wife Elsie Houston
Elsie Houston
Elsie Houston was a Brazilian singer.Elsie Houston was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1902. She was the descendent of confederados, southern plantation owners that had come to Brazil after the American Civil War...
, he published Le Grand Jeu
Le Grand Jeu
Le Grand Jeu may refer to:*The Great Game, , the strategic rivalry between the British Empire and the Russian Empire for supremacy in central Asia....
. Two years later in 1931, a mere few months after the birth of his first son, Geyser, whilst living in Rio De Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, he was arrested and expelled from Brazil on grounds of being a 'Communist Agitator' – having formed, with his brother Mario Pedrosa, the Brazilian Communist League which was based upon the ideas of Trotsky.
Having returned to France and buffeted by the winds of politics, he fought in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
as a member of the Durruti Column
Durruti Column
The Durruti Column was the largest anarchist column formed during the Spanish Civil War . During the first months of the war it has come to be the most recognized and popular military organisations fighting at the republican side...
. He was later imprisoned, in 1940, for his political activities and later released whereupon he sailed for Mexico, with the aid of the American-based Emergency Rescue Committee, to study pre-Columbian myths and American Folklore. He had originally wished to emigrate to the United States although he was unable to do so due to his Communist affiliations. Peret went to Mexico with his lover, the Spanish painter Remedios Varo. In Mexico City he became involved with the European intellectual community living there in exile. Whilst living in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
Peret met Nathalia Sedova , Trotsky's widow.
He remained in Mexico until the end of 1947. He returned to Paris and died there on 18 September 1959.
Works
1921: Le Passager du transatlantique1925: Cent cinquante-deux proverbes mis au goût du jour, en collaboration avec Paul Éluard
1927: Dormir, dormir dans les pierres
1928: Le Grand Jeu
1934: De derrière les fagots
1936: Je sublime
1936: Je ne mange pas de ce pain-là
1945: Le Déshonneur des poètes
1945: Dernier Malheur dernière chance
1946: Un point c’est tout
1952: Air mexicain
1955: Le Livre de Chilam Balam de Chumayel
1956: Anthologie de l’amour sublime
1957: Gigot, sa vie, son œuvre
1960: Anthologie des mythes, légendes et contes populaires d’Amérique
Further reading
Death to the Pigs and the Field of Battle. Atlas Press, 1988.Mad Balls. Atlas Press, 1991.
The Automatic Muse. Atlas Press, 1994.
From the Hidden Storehouse (Selected Poems by Benjamin Peret). Oberlin College, 1991.
A Menagerie in Revolt! Selected Writings. Black Swan Press, 2009.