Rene-Yves Creston

Rene-Yves Creston is the pseudonym of Rene Pierre Joseph Creston , artist plastics technician, ethnologist and resisting born the October 25th 1898 with Saint-Nazaire and died Cattle shed-on-Sea the May 30th 1964.

Course

After studies in Ancenis and Saint-Nazaire, it follows the courses of the École of the Art schools of Nantes, then of Paris, to be formed with the techniques of painting.

Seiz Breur

In 1923, it is one of the founders with Jeanne Malivel and his wife Suzanne Creston, of the Unvaniezh Seiz Breur (out of Br. Union of the Seven brothers) which will join together a few tens of Breton artists wanting to create for the greatest reputation of the Brittany.

Several of them, whose Creston decorate with the rooms of the House of Brittany to the Exposition of decorative Arts of Paris in 1925. Creston and Malivel show decorations for wood pieces of furniture there. After the death of Jeanne Malivel in 1926, he becomes the true coordinator of the movement Seiz Breur until the end in 1944.

In 1927, in collaboration with the young sculptor Jules-Charles Bozec (1898 - 1973), still raises in the Art schools, it draws the costumes of three plays: “ Ar It hornandoned ” (Goblins) of the abbots Job Bayon and Yann-Vari Perrot, “ Tog Jani ” (the hat of Jeanne) of Yves Moal, and “ Lina ” of Roparz Hemon, of which the first representation took place in January 1927.

He writes in Breiz atao and helps with the publication of the reviews of art Kornog (Occident) and Keltia . He passes from engraving on wood to the watercolour or with oil, works for the faience manufacturers, then becomes sculptor. One owes him a sculpture of Nominoë. It illustrates the book Kan da Gornog of Youenn Drezenn, for which it invents a news Typographie.

Ethnologist

In 1929, it makes a fishing year to cod since Fécamp in trimmings of the Norway, the Spitzberg and the Iceland, which leads it to turn to the Ethnologie, while keeping its activities of committed artist. It will contribute under ethnologist to the conservation of the Breton inheritance. In 1931, it takes part in the decoration of the room of the Merchant navy, during the colonial Exposure of Paris. In 1933, it embarks for a scientific cruising with the commander Jean Charcot on the Why not? as a painter. In 1936, it becomes Peintre of the Navy and enters to the Musée of the Man to Paris where it directs the department of the Arctique.

The Second world war

A Breton nationalist in Resistance

He militates in one of the first networks of the resistance, says it network of the Museum of the Man. He plays a big role, as the American historian Martin Blumenson evokes it, by achieving " a mission of first importance. He accomplished three voyages in Brittany to try to establish easy communications with England. He recruited sympathizers among his knowledge. Better still, it set up in Saint-Nazaire even an small group charged to establish and to make him pass from the detailed plans of the harbor installations and underwater base that the Germans had arranged for their own use, in particular locks ordering the access of the inner basin which was vulnerable to the bombardments anglais."

In February 1941, Creston is stopped following a denunciation and is kept four months with the prison of Seek-Midday in Paris. Released of released in May or June 1941, it east compels with residence in Rennes with the order to go more to Paris. Supervised, it ceases, seems it, any activity of resistance. But it did its work. Several specimens of the plans of Saint-Nazaire had found the way of England.

It indeed contributes to prepare the Opération Carriage: the precise information is extremely useful in the preparation of " The Raid " as the specialists in On the other side of the channel say. It receives the Certificat off Service signed of the Marshal Bernard Montgomery for his action with the service of the allies.

Francoise Morvan and since 1985, Bertrand Frelaut in his book Breton nationalists of 1939 to 1945 (p. 78), Denis-Michel Boël (study on the passage of the folklore to the ethnology of Brittany, “Ar Seiz Breur 1923-1947, Breton creation between tradition and modernity” under dir. of Daniel Couédic and Jean-Yves Veillard) raise that it provides illustrations and articles to the newspaper collaborationist the Breton Hour, signed of his name or its pseudonym Halgan. . It was besides frequent that the resistant ones work in the collaborator press, in order to dissimulate their underground activities: the most known example is that of Robert Desnos, deportee with Terezin, and journalist with " Today ".

After the Second world war

After the Second world war, it is one of the successors of Yann Sohier with the presidency of Ar Falz . In 1949, it integrates CNRS and undertakes ethnological research on the costumes of the Breton peasants and is sent to it on mission to Naples and Sicily.
En end of a career, it is charged to reorganize the museums of ethnology of Rennes (Musée of Brittany) and of Quimper (Breton Museum) and finishes its career with the direction of the Museum of Saint-Brieuc (Museum of History).

Publications

the Breton costume , ED. Tchou, 1978, which is its philosopher's stone (posthumous)
(with the coll.de Paul Ladmirault) Jorj Robin skulter vrezon, E vuhez, E ober. Jorj Robin Breton sculptor, his life, its work . Rear Unvaniez Seiz-Breur. Commemorative plate published for Keltia " Books Interceltiques d' Art and of Literature " in 1931.
the round of the martyrdoms , Museum of St Brieuc
the man and the sea , Museum of St Brieuc
the Breton costume , Museum of St Brieuc
Series of the Breton Saints (format 33 X25 cm.)
the Breton fight with Scaer . ED. B.A.S. - 1957
Lexicon of the Breton costume

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