Poetry
Déraisons d'être
Not translated into English
Georges Henein · 1938
Synopsis
A slim collection of some thirty pages that pairs poems with images by the artist Kamel el-Telmisany, according to the catalogue entry for André Breton's copy. A study devoted to the draughtsman sees poems and drawings together taking the opposite stance to classical and academic traditions. The images show collapsing faces, dilated irises that accuse, a man with sealed lips, a woman with five eyes.
Context
The collection appeared in Paris in 1938, with José Corti, in 250 copies. The study published on Academia counts the draughtsman among the precursors of surrealism in Egypt and links the book to the manifesto of Art et Liberté against Nazi and fascist ideologies. The group was formed in Cairo the same year. The copy given to Breton bears the dedication “Pour André Breton en toute solidarité d'esprit”; it was sold in 2003, with the poet's library.
Who it is for
A slim collection of illustrated poems, written in French and printed in 250 copies; the author's texts were collected by Denoël in 2006.
Prizes and reception
Book by a founder of the Cairo surrealist group, accompanied by images regarded as pioneering.
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