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Michel Leiris

January 01, 1970

Julien Michel Leiris (French: [lɛʁis]; 20 April 1901 in Paris[1] – 30 September 1990 in Saint-Hilaire, Essonne) was a French surrealist writer and ethnographer. Part of the Surrealist group in Paris, Leiris became a key member of the College of Sociology with Georges Bataille and head of research in ethnography at the CNRS.[2]

Michel Leiris
1984 portrait
Born20 April 1901 
Died30 September 1990  (aged 89)
OccupationWriter, poet, collector 
FamilyPierre Leiris 

Biography edit

Michel Leiris obtained his baccalauréat in philosophy at the Lycée Janson de Sailly in 1918 and after a brief attempt at studying chemistry, he developed a strong interest in jazz and poetry. Between 1921 and 1924, Leiris met a number of important figures such as Max Jacob, Georges Henri Rivière, Jean Dubuffet, Robert Desnos, Georges Bataille and the artist André Masson,[3] who soon became his mentor. Through Masson, Leiris became a member of the Surrealist movement, contributed to La Révolution surréaliste,[4] published Simulacre (1925),[5] and Le Point Cardinal (1927), and wrote a surrealist novel Aurora (1927–28; first published in 1946). In 1926, he married Louise Godon,[6] the stepdaughter of Picasso's art dealer Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler[6] and traveled to Egypt and Greece.

Following a falling-out with the surrealist leader André Breton in 1929, Leiris contributed an essay to the anti-Breton pamphlet Un Cadavre,[7] and joined Bataille's team as a sub-editor for Documents, to which he also regularly contributed articles such as “Notes on Two Microcosmic Figures of the 14th and 15th Centuries” (1929, issue 1), “In Connection with the ‘Musée des Sorciers'" (1929, issue 2), "Civilisation" (1929, issue 4), “The ‘Caput Mortuum’ or the Alchemist's Wife” (1930, issue 8), and on artists such as Giacometti, Miró, Picasso, and the 16th Century painter Antoine Caron. He also wrote an article on “The Ethnographer’s Eye (concerning the Dakar-Djibouti mission)” before setting off in 1930 as the secretary-archivist in Marcel Griaule's ambitious ethnographic expedition. From this experience, Leiris published his first important book in 1934, L’Afrique fantôme, combining both an ethnographic study and an autobiographical project, which broke with the traditional ethnographic writing style of Griaule. Upon his return, he started his practice as an ethnographer at the Musée de l'Homme, a position he kept until 1971.

In 1937, Leiris teamed up with Bataille and Roger Caillois to found the Collège de sociologie in response to the current international situation.[8] Increasingly involved in politics, he took part in a mission to Côte d'Ivoire in the French colonies, in 1945. As a member of Jean-Paul Sartre's editorial committee for Les Temps modernes,[9] Leiris was involved in a series of political struggles, including the Algerian War, and was one of the first to sign the Déclaration sur le droit à l'insoumission dans la guerre d'Algérie,[10] the 1960 manifesto supporting the fight against the colonial forces in Algeria.

In 1961, Leiris was made head of research in ethnography at the C.N.R.S. (Centre national de la recherche scientifique) and published numerous critical texts[11] on artists he admired, including Francis Bacon, a close friend for whom he had modeled.[12] That year he also published Nights as Day, Days as Night [13](Eng. translation, Spurl Editions, 2017).

Considered a leading figure in 20th century French literature, sociology, and cultural criticism, Michel Leiris left a considerable number of works. These range from autobiographical works such as L'Age d'homme (1939), La Règle du jeu (1948–1976) and his Journal 1922-1989 (published postmortem in 1992); art criticism such as Au verso des images (1980) and Francis Bacon face et profil (1983); music criticism such as Operratiques (1992); and scientific contributions such as La Langue secrète des Dogons de Saga (1948) and Race et civilisation (1951). (His fields of interest in anthropology ranged from bullfighting to possession in Gondar, Ethiopia.)

With Jean Jamin, Leiris founded Gradhiva,[14] a journal of anthropology in 1986. The journal is now the journal of anthropology and museology of the Musée du quai Branly (Paris, France).

Leiris was also a talented poet, and poetry was important in his approach to the world. In the preface to Haut Mal, suivi de Autres Lancers (Gallimard 1969) he is quoted as saying that "the practice of poetry enables us to posit the Other as an equal" and that poetic inspiration is "a very rare thing, a fleeting gift from Heaven, to which the poet needs to be, at the price of an absolute purity, receptive – and to pay with his unhappiness for the benefits derived from this blessing."

Works (selection) edit

  • Simulacre (1925)
  • Le Point Cardinal (1927)
  • Aurora (1927–28)
  • L’Afrique fantôme (1934); Phantom Africa (Eng. translation, Brent Hayes Edwards, Seagull Books, 2018)
  • L’Âge d’homme (1939); Manhood (Eng. translation, Richard Howard, University of Chicago Press, 1992)
  • Haut Mal (poems) (1943) / reprinted as Haut Mal, suivi de Autres lancers (1969)
  • La Langue secrète des Dogons de Saga (1948)
  • La règle du jeu (1948–1976); The Rules of the Game
    • Vol. 1: Biffures (1948) (Eng. translation: Scratches, Lydia Davis, 1991)
    • Vol. 2: Fourbis (1955) (Eng. tr. Scraps, Lydia Davis, 1997)
    • Vol. 3: Fibrilles (1966) (Eng. tr. Fibrils, Lydia Davis, 2017)
    • Vol. 4: Frêle Bruit (1976) (Eng. tr. Frail Riffs, Richard Sieburth, 2024)
  • Race et civilisation (1951)
  • La Possession et ses aspects théatraux chez les Éthiopiens du Gondar (1958)
  • Nuits sans nuit et quelques jours sans jour (1961); Nights as Day, Days as Night (Eng. translation, Richard Sieburth, Spurl Editions, 2017)
  • Brisées (1966) (Eng. translation, Lydia Davis, North Point Press, 1990)
  • Au verso des images (1980)
  • Le Ruban au cou d'Olympia (1981) (Eng. translation: The Ribbon at Olympia's Throat, Christine Pichini, 2019)
  • Francis Bacon face et profil (1983)
  • Operratiques (1992)
  • Journal 1922-1989 (1992)

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research" (PDF). Chicago Journal.
  2. ^ "Michel Leiris". MIT Press. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  3. ^ Oisteanu, Valery (2012-06-04). "ANDRÉ MASSON The Mythology of Desire: Masterworks from 1925 to 1945". The Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  4. ^ "Michel Leiris (André Breton)". www.andrebreton.fr. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  5. ^ www.bibliopolis.com. "SIMULACRE by André Masson, Michel Leiris on William Reese Company". William Reese Company. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  6. ^ a b www.metmuseum.org https://www.metmuseum.org/art/libraries-and-research-centers/leonard-lauder-research-center/research/index-of-cubist-art-collectors/leiris. Retrieved 2020-07-28. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ^ Breton, André; Ribemont-Dessaignes, Georges; Prévert, Jacques; Queneau, Raymond; Vitrac, Roger; Leiris, Michel; Limbour, Georges; Boiffard, J.-A; Desno, Robert (1924). Un cadavre (in French). Paris: s.n. OCLC 801805934.
  8. ^ Caillois, Roger (2003). The Edge of Surrealism: A Roger Caillois Reader. Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-3068-4.
  9. ^ Davies, Howard (April 1987). "Introduction". Sartre and 'Les Temps Modernes'. pp. 1–12. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511897726.003. ISBN 9780511897726. Retrieved 2020-07-28. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  10. ^ SIRINELLI, Jean-François (1998-01-12). "Algérie, Manifeste des 121. "Déclaration sur le droit à l'insoumission dans la guerre d'Algérie"". Libération.fr (in French). Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  11. ^ "Michel Leiris - Auteur". CNRS Editions (in French). Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  12. ^ "Michel Leiris | Francis Bacon". www.francis-bacon.com. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  13. ^ Leiris, Michel; Davis, Lydia; Blanchot, Maurice; Fort, Jeff (1998). "1944 Journal [The Liberation of Paris]". Conjunctions (31): 201–231. ISSN 0278-2324. JSTOR 24515878.
  14. ^ "Gradhiva - Revue d'anthropologie et d'histoire des arts". journals.openedition.org (in French). Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  • Jean-Louis de Rambures, "Comment travaillent les écrivains", Paris 1978 (interview with M. Leiris, in French)

External links edit

January 01, 1970
michel, leiris, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, lead, section, short, adequately, summarize, points, please, consider, expanding, lead, p. This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article s lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article October 2017 This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Michel Leiris news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2017 Learn how and when to remove this message Learn how and when to remove this message Julien Michel Leiris French lɛʁis 20 April 1901 in Paris 1 30 September 1990 in Saint Hilaire Essonne was a French surrealist writer and ethnographer Part of the Surrealist group in Paris Leiris became a key member of the College of Sociology with Georges Bataille and head of research in ethnography at the CNRS 2 Michel Leiris1984 portraitBorn20 April 1901 Died30 September 1990 aged 89 OccupationWriter poet collector FamilyPierre Leiris Contents 1 Biography 2 Works selection 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksBiography editMichel Leiris obtained his baccalaureat in philosophy at the Lycee Janson de Sailly in 1918 and after a brief attempt at studying chemistry he developed a strong interest in jazz and poetry Between 1921 and 1924 Leiris met a number of important figures such as Max Jacob Georges Henri Riviere Jean Dubuffet Robert Desnos Georges Bataille and the artist Andre Masson 3 who soon became his mentor Through Masson Leiris became a member of the Surrealist movement contributed to La Revolution surrealiste 4 published Simulacre 1925 5 and Le Point Cardinal 1927 and wrote a surrealist novel Aurora 1927 28 first published in 1946 In 1926 he married Louise Godon 6 the stepdaughter of Picasso s art dealer Daniel Henry Kahnweiler 6 and traveled to Egypt and Greece Following a falling out with the surrealist leader Andre Breton in 1929 Leiris contributed an essay to the anti Breton pamphlet Un Cadavre 7 and joined Bataille s team as a sub editor for Documents to which he also regularly contributed articles such as Notes on Two Microcosmic Figures of the 14th and 15th Centuries 1929 issue 1 In Connection with the Musee des Sorciers 1929 issue 2 Civilisation 1929 issue 4 The Caput Mortuum or the Alchemist s Wife 1930 issue 8 and on artists such as Giacometti Miro Picasso and the 16th Century painter Antoine Caron He also wrote an article on The Ethnographer s Eye concerning the Dakar Djibouti mission before setting off in 1930 as the secretary archivist in Marcel Griaule s ambitious ethnographic expedition From this experience Leiris published his first important book in 1934 L Afrique fantome combining both an ethnographic study and an autobiographical project which broke with the traditional ethnographic writing style of Griaule Upon his return he started his practice as an ethnographer at the Musee de l Homme a position he kept until 1971 In 1937 Leiris teamed up with Bataille and Roger Caillois to found the College de sociologie in response to the current international situation 8 Increasingly involved in politics he took part in a mission to Cote d Ivoire in the French colonies in 1945 As a member of Jean Paul Sartre s editorial committee for Les Temps modernes 9 Leiris was involved in a series of political struggles including the Algerian War and was one of the first to sign the Declaration sur le droit a l insoumission dans la guerre d Algerie 10 the 1960 manifesto supporting the fight against the colonial forces in Algeria In 1961 Leiris was made head of research in ethnography at the C N R S Centre national de la recherche scientifique and published numerous critical texts 11 on artists he admired including Francis Bacon a close friend for whom he had modeled 12 That year he also published Nights as Day Days as Night 13 Eng translation Spurl Editions 2017 Considered a leading figure in 20th century French literature sociology and cultural criticism Michel Leiris left a considerable number of works These range from autobiographical works such as L Age d homme 1939 La Regle du jeu 1948 1976 and his Journal 1922 1989 published postmortem in 1992 art criticism such as Au verso des images 1980 and Francis Bacon face et profil 1983 music criticism such as Operratiques 1992 and scientific contributions such as La Langue secrete des Dogons de Saga 1948 and Race et civilisation 1951 His fields of interest in anthropology ranged from bullfighting to possession in Gondar Ethiopia With Jean Jamin Leiris founded Gradhiva 14 a journal of anthropology in 1986 The journal is now the journal of anthropology and museology of the Musee du quai Branly Paris France Leiris was also a talented poet and poetry was important in his approach to the world In the preface to Haut Mal suivi de Autres Lancers Gallimard 1969 he is quoted as saying that the practice of poetry enables us to posit the Other as an equal and that poetic inspiration is a very rare thing a fleeting gift from Heaven to which the poet needs to be at the price of an absolute purity receptive and to pay with his unhappiness for the benefits derived from this blessing Works selection editSimulacre 1925 Le Point Cardinal 1927 Aurora 1927 28 L Afrique fantome 1934 Phantom Africa Eng translation Brent Hayes Edwards Seagull Books 2018 L Age d homme 1939 Manhood Eng translation Richard Howard University of Chicago Press 1992 Haut Mal poems 1943 reprinted as Haut Mal suivi de Autres lancers 1969 La Langue secrete des Dogons de Saga 1948 La regle du jeu 1948 1976 The Rules of the Game Vol 1 Biffures 1948 Eng translation Scratches Lydia Davis 1991 Vol 2 Fourbis 1955 Eng tr Scraps Lydia Davis 1997 Vol 3 Fibrilles 1966 Eng tr Fibrils Lydia Davis 2017 Vol 4 Frele Bruit 1976 Eng tr Frail Riffs Richard Sieburth 2024 Race et civilisation 1951 La Possession et ses aspects theatraux chez les Ethiopiens du Gondar 1958 Nuits sans nuit et quelques jours sans jour 1961 Nights as Day Days as Night Eng translation Richard Sieburth Spurl Editions 2017 Brisees 1966 Eng translation Lydia Davis North Point Press 1990 Au verso des images 1980 Le Ruban au cou d Olympia 1981 Eng translation The Ribbon at Olympia s Throat Christine Pichini 2019 Francis Bacon face et profil 1983 Operratiques 1992 Journal 1922 1989 1992 See also editLimit experienceReferences edit Wenner Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research PDF Chicago Journal Michel Leiris MIT Press Retrieved 2020 07 28 Oisteanu Valery 2012 06 04 ANDRE MASSON The Mythology of Desire Masterworks from 1925 to 1945 The Brooklyn Rail Retrieved 2020 07 28 Michel Leiris Andre Breton www andrebreton fr Retrieved 2020 07 28 www bibliopolis com SIMULACRE by Andre Masson Michel Leiris on William Reese Company William Reese Company Retrieved 2020 07 28 a b www metmuseum org https www metmuseum org art libraries and research centers leonard lauder research center research index of cubist art collectors leiris Retrieved 2020 07 28 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Missing or empty title help Breton Andre Ribemont Dessaignes Georges Prevert Jacques Queneau Raymond Vitrac Roger Leiris Michel Limbour Georges Boiffard J A Desno Robert 1924 Un cadavre in French Paris s n OCLC 801805934 Caillois Roger 2003 The Edge of Surrealism A Roger Caillois Reader Duke University Press ISBN 978 0 8223 3068 4 Davies Howard April 1987 Introduction Sartre and Les Temps Modernes pp 1 12 doi 10 1017 CBO9780511897726 003 ISBN 9780511897726 Retrieved 2020 07 28 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a website ignored help SIRINELLI Jean Francois 1998 01 12 Algerie Manifeste des 121 Declaration sur le droit a l insoumission dans la guerre d Algerie Liberation fr in French Retrieved 2020 07 28 Michel Leiris Auteur CNRS Editions in French Retrieved 2020 07 28 Michel Leiris Francis Bacon www francis bacon com Retrieved 2020 07 28 Leiris Michel Davis Lydia Blanchot Maurice Fort Jeff 1998 1944 Journal The Liberation of Paris Conjunctions 31 201 231 ISSN 0278 2324 JSTOR 24515878 Gradhiva Revue d anthropologie et d histoire des arts journals openedition org in French Retrieved 2020 07 28 Jean Louis de Rambures Comment travaillent les ecrivains Paris 1978 interview with M Leiris in French External links editWorks by or about Michel Leiris at Internet Archive Michel Leiris at Find a Grave nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Michel Leiris amp oldid 1222273904, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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