1961

First edition, one of 500 copies on wove paper, after 13 copies on Auvergne and 60 on Rives.

Illustrated with four original photomontages.

Exceptionally inscribed by Georges Hugnet on the half-title page to the Dadaist Raoul Hausmann: “À mon très grand / et très estimable ami / Raoul Hausmann / en toute affection / GEORGES HUGNET / le 9 juin 1961”, with an original collage signed with his initials and dated (“G.H. 1961”).

Raoul Hausmann, the “dadasophe”, played a major role within Dada Berlin and remained famous for his assemblages, collages, photomontages and opto-phonetic poster-poems. Hugnet was the first to write the history of the movement, and placed Hausmann’s collages and sculptures at the forefront of his essay on “The Dada Spirit in Berlin” which he published in Cahiers d’Art (1932). He paid tribute to the photomontage of the Berlin Dadaists in his posthumous Dictionnaire du dadaïsme (1976): “Photomontage,” he wrote, “whether treated on the plane of poetry or on the plane of social satire, was a contribution of the Berlin Dadaists and remained their most scandalous and violent means of expression.” Hugnet, undoubtedly inspired by these irreverent and resolutely modern innovations, enthusiastically took part in the creation of collages and montages as early as the 1930s, after a childhood already filled with empirical proto-collages made from newspaper clippings:

“In this way, he created collages full of fantasy and humour, which he continued to do later both in his theatrical pieces as well as in his poetry and cinematographic work. Hugnet considered that the rectangular frame of a painting was too restrictive. Thanks to the allogamy of different disciplines, his work knew great diversity. It is precisely this wealth of imagination that he always defended, as a Dadaist/Surrealist” (Nationale Bibliotheek, The Hague).

The two artists continued their use of this technique for many years: Yves Tenret recounts that Hausmann, “At the end of his life, anticipating Pop Art, made collages with things from everyday life (sausages!) and himself made up as a clown wearing a tutu with a girl’s body and a bottle of schnapps in his hand.” Hugnet includes here four photomontages in this collection of aphorisms and Surrealist free prose. He added this unique collage-frontispiece for his fellow artist’s copy. We know from a letter by Hausmann (June 29, 1969) that he also received Hugnet’s his final work of eighty photo-collages, a parody of a Michelin guide (Huit jours à Trébaumec, 1969).

Outstanding token of admiration from collagist to collagist, from Hugnet the poet and Dada historian to Raoul Hausmann, the Dada photo-monteur, screamer of phonetic poems, visual artist, photographer and activist.