Michel Leiris (April 20th 1901, Paris - September 30th 1990, Saint-Hilaire) is a writer and Ethnologue French, but also Satrape of the Collège of' Pataphysique.

Biography

Michel Leiris was born within a cultivated middle-class family which pushes it against her liking to make studies of chemistry whereas it is attracted by art and the writing. He attends the artistic mediums of the post-war period 1914-1918, in particular the surrealist . He binds friendship with max Jacob, André Masson, Picasso… He leaves the surrealist group in 1929. Less insane than Georges Bataille, more generous than Jean-Paul Sartre, equal of Pierre Orchard, his work marked ethnographic, ethnological research. And then it is its life.

Of 1931 with 1933, it takes part in an important ethnographic mission, the “ Mission Dakar-Djibouti ”, directed by Marcel Griaule where Leiris is secretary-archivist. On its return, he studies the ethnology while following the courses of Marcel Mauss to the Institute of ethnology and takes the responsability for the Department of Black Africa of the Museum of ethnography of Trocadéro (ancestor of the Museum of the Man). He makes a feature, like Paul Nizan (in Aden Arabia ), on the voyage like mode of escape, by signing “ phantom Africa ”: monumental newspaper of voyage in which it diverts the techniques of ethnographic investigation and retranscription to apply them to the description of the daily newspaper and the work conditions of the research team. Publication of this text in the review " Minotaure" the rupture with Marcel Griaule will cause. From 1929 to 1935, it follows a Psychanalyse under the control of Adrien Borel. It feels the need, to complete it, or to note the failure of it, to write a Autobiographie: “ the Age of Man ”. This first work will be prolonged by the four volumes of “ the Rules of the game ” which it will write of 1948 to 1976. It becomes Satrape Collège of 'Pataphysique in 1957. He also wrote news and many poems. In parallel, he embraces the occupation of ethnologist and becomes researcher CNRS with the Musée of the Man (who has just been founded).

After the release, it approaches the Existentialisme sartrien and will be member of the founder team of the review " Modern times ". It also takes part, with Alioune Diop, Aimé Césaire and Georges Balandier with the foundation of the review " African Presence " in 1945. Giving an opinion against colonialism, it will be in particular one of the first signatories of the Manifeste of the 121 and also member of the Mouvement of peace.

It leaves, in addition to its autobiographical work, important studies of esthetic criticism and ethnology. He in particular worked on the belief in the possession - Zar - in the north of Ethiopia, analyzing it in a prospect close to the topic sartrien for the bad existential faith and work to Alfred Métraux on the worship Vaudou.

Many researchers, students work still all over the world with the second reading of the work of Michel Leiris.

An international review devoted exclusively to Michel Leiris was founded in 2006. More ambitious and consistent that a simple bulletin of connection, of a biannual periodicity, the '' Cahiers Leiris '' devote each one of their deliveries to the publication of texts and new documents of Michel Leiris or national with his work. The number first (450 pages, Editions Books) is appeared in November 2007.

Works

  • 1925 - Show

  • 1927 - the cardinal Point
  • 1934 - phantom Africa
  • 1939 - the Age of man
  • 1943 - High Evil (poems)
  • 1946 - Aurora
  • 1948 - Biffures (Rules of the game - I)
  • 1948 - the secret language of the Dogons of Sanga
  • 1955 - Furbished (Rules of the game - II)
  • 1955 - Contacts of civilization in Martinique and Guadeloupe
  • 1958 - Theatrical possession and its aspects at the Ethiopian ones of Gondar
  • 1961 - Nights without night and a few days without day
  • 1964 - Great escape of snow
  • 1966 - Fibrillae (Rules of the game - III)
  • 1966 - Broken
  • 1967 - Black Africa: plastic creation (in collaboration with Jacqueline Delange)
  • 1969 - Five studies of ethnology
  • 1969 - Words without Memory (compilation of poetic texts)
  • 1971 - Andre Masson, " Massacres" and other drawings
  • 1974 - Francis Bacon or the shouting truth
  • 1976 - Frail Noise (Rules of the game - IV)
  • 1978 - Alberto Giacometti
  • 1980 - With the back of the images
  • 1985 - Language pitching
  • 1987 - Francis Bacon
  • 1988 - With horn and cry
  • 1989 - Bacon the outlaw
  • 1992 - Zébrage
  • 1992 - Newspaper 1922-1989
  • 1992 - Operratiques
  • 1994 - Newspaper of China
  • 1994 - the Man without honor. Notes for crowned in the daily life
  • 1996 - Mirror of Africa (posthumous collection of its principal writings of African ethnology)

  • 2003 - the Rules of the game (Library of the Pleiad)

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