André Thirion (14 July 1907 – 4 January 2001) was a French writer, a member of the group of

surrealists Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...

, a theorist and political activist.

Biography

After becoming a trade unionist, he turned to communism, a party he joined in 1925. His character led him to the group of surrealists he joined in 1928. A friend of

Louis Aragon Louis Aragon (, , 3 October 1897 – 24 December 1982) was a French poet who was one of the leading voices of the surrealist movement in France. He co-founded with André Breton and Philippe Soupault the surrealist review ''Littérature''. He wa ...

and

Georges Sadoul Georges Sadoul (4 February 1904 – 13 October 1967) was a French film critic, journalist and cinema writer. He is known for writing encyclopedias of film and filmmakers, many of which have been translated into English. Biography Sadoul was ...

, he participated in the activities of the Surrealists between 1928 and 1934. His photograph composes the framework of the work of

René Magritte René François Ghislain Magritte (; 21 November 1898 – 15 August 1967) was a Belgian surrealist artist known for his depictions of familiar objects in unfamiliar, unexpected contexts, which often provoked questions about the nature and bounda ...

, ''Je ne vois pas la

emme Emme may refer to: People: * Ivan Fyodorovich Emme (1763–1839), Russian lieutenant general in the Napoleonic Wars * Otto J. Emme, American politician and World War I veteran * Emme Gerhard (1872–1946), American photographer * Emme Rylan, Am ...

cachée dans la forêt'' (1928); He appears in tenth position, starting in a clockwise direction from the upper left corner. In November 1930, with

André Breton André Robert Breton (; 19 February 1896 – 28 September 1966) was a French writer and poet, the co-founder, leader, and principal theorist of surrealism. His writings include the first ''Surrealist Manifesto'' (''Manifeste du surréalisme'') o ...

, he draught the statutes of the "A.A.E.R." (''Association des artistes et écrivains révolutionnaires'') which the French Communist Party took over in 1932, changing the acronym to "A.E.A.R." and excluding the surrealists. Published in 1972, under the title ''Révolutionnaires sans révolution'', his testimony constantly "doubles as a critical commentary which revives surrealist thought while at the same time correcting its illusions". He participated to the magazine ''

Le Surrealisme au service de la revolution ''Le Surréalisme au service de la révolution (Surrealism in the service of the revolution)'' was a periodical issued by the Surrealist Group in Paris between 1930 and 1933. It was the successor of ''La Révolution surréaliste'' (published 1924� ...

'', supported the film ''

L'Âge d'or ''L'Age d'Or'' (french: L'Âge d'Or, ), commonly translated as ''The Golden Age'' or ''Age of Gold'', is a 1930 French surrealist satirical comedy film directed by Luis Buñuel about the insanities of modern life, the hypocrisy of the sexual mor ...

'' by

Luis Buñuel Luis Buñuel Portolés (; 22 February 1900 – 29 July 1983) was a Spanish-Mexican filmmaker who worked in France, Mexico, and Spain. He has been widely considered by many film critics, historians, and directors to be one of the greatest and m ...

and

Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarr ...

. He moved away from communism during the 1930s. He campaigned against Aragon during his departure from Surrealism to the French Communist Party in 1932. During the Second World War, he incorporated the Gaullist resistance and became an MP for the

Rassemblement du peuple français The Rally of the French People (french: Rassemblement du Peuple Français, RPF) was a French political party, led by Charles de Gaulle. Foundation The RPF was founded by Charles de Gaulle in Strasbourg on 14 April 1947, one year after his resign ...

at the Liberation of France.

Work

His work is divided into two groups: the first consists of autobiographical works; The other of political and erotic novels. ''Révolutionnaires sans revolution'' is the main work of the first group. It is an autobiography that relates this period and analyzes the group of surrealists.

Autobiographical texts

*1972: ''Révolutionnaires sans révolution'', (

Prix Roger Nimier The Roger Nimier Prize () is a French literature award. It is supposed to go to "a young author whose spirit is in line with the literary works of Roger Nimier". Nimier (1925–1962) was a novelist and a leading member of the Hussards (literary move ...

) *1987
''Révisions déchirantes''

Novels

*1934 ''Le Grand Ordinaire'' *1975: ''Béatrice''

Short stories

*1993: ''Œdipe au bordel, suivi d'autres contes inconvenants et fantasques''

Theatre

*1976: ''Défense de : divertissement en 42 scènes'' *1988: ''L'Ange et les Homards''

Other publications

*1953: ''L'Automne sur la mer'' *1975: ''Les éboueurs ne sont plus en grève'' *1973: ''Éloge de l'indocilité'' *1981: ''Le Vocatif'' *1983: ''Le Charme éprouvée de la bourgeoisie : à propos d'Aragon'' *1989: ''Portrait d'André Breton suivi de Bavardages et Parodies'', Brussels, (with reproduction of the portrait of

by Roger Van de Wouwer).

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

''André Thirion dans l'arbre''
photo on André Breton.fr
''Révolutionnaires sans révolution''
on

Actes Sud Actes Sud is a French publishing house based in Arles. It was founded in 1978 by author Hubert Nyssen. By 2013, the company, then headed by Nyssen's daughter, Françoise Nyssen, had an annual turnover of 60 million euros and 60 staff members. ...

Publications
on CAIRN
André Thirion
on Encyclopédie Larousse {{DEFAULTSORT:Thirion, Andre French surrealist writers 20th-century French novelists Rally of the French People politicians Roger Nimier Prize winners 1907 births People from Meurthe-et-Moselle 2001 deaths