What did André Breton define surrealism as?
André Breton defined surrealism as "pure psychic automatism" in the Surrealist Manifesto of 1924. The manifesto also launched the magazine La Révolution surréaliste and the Bureau of Surrealist Research.
Questions about André Breton
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Where was André Breton born and when did he live?
André Breton was born on the 19th of February 1896 in Tinchebray, a town in Normandy, France. He died on the 28th of September 1966 and was buried in the Cimetière des Batignolles in Paris.
What was the controversy around Breton's Second Surrealist Manifesto?
The Second Manifesto of Surrealism, published in December 1929, contained a declaration that the simplest surrealist act consists of going into the street with a revolver and firing blindly into the crowd. Albert Camus was among those who reproached Breton for the statement, and in 1930 former surrealists published a collective pamphlet called Un Cadavre attacking Breton's leadership.
Who was Hector Hyppolite and why did André Breton champion his work?
Hector Hyppolite was a Haitian painter and Vodou priest whom Breton encountered during his visit to Haiti in 1945-1946. Breton identified Hyppolite as the first artist to depict Vodou scenes and the lwa directly, rather than concealing them in Catholic imagery. Breton's writings on Hyppolite were central to the artist's international recognition from the late 1940s onward.
How did André Breton escape France during World War II?
After the Vichy government banned his writings as "the very negation of the national revolution," Breton escaped with the help of the American Varian Fry and Hiram "Harry" Bingham IV. He emigrated to New York City and lived there for several years, organizing a surrealist exhibition at Yale University in 1942.
What happened to André Breton's art collection after his death?
After Breton died on the 28th of September 1966, his third wife Elisa and his daughter Aube allowed students and researchers access to his archive and collection of over 5,300 items at 42 rue Fontaine. After thirty-six years, following failed attempts to create a surrealist foundation, the collection was auctioned by Calmels Cohen at Drouot-Richelieu. A wall of the apartment is preserved at the Centre Georges Pompidou.