Jacques-André Boiffard (29 July 1902 – 22 July 1961) was a French photographer, born in Épernon in

Eure-et-Loir Eure-et-Loir (, locally: ) is a French department, named after the Eure and Loir rivers. It is located in the region of Centre-Val de Loire. In 2019, Eure-et-Loir had a population of 431,575.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'') ...

through

Pierre Naville Pierre Naville (1 February 1903 – 24 April 1993) was a French Surrealist writer and sociologist.Stubb, JeremyObituary: Pierre Naville ''The Independent'', 3 June 1993. He was a prominent member of the "Investigating Sex" group of Surrealist ...

, a

Surrealist 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 ...

writer, and childhood friend. In the mid-1920s, Boiffard decided to dedicate himself to research in the

Bureau of Surrealist Research The Bureau of Surrealist Research, also known as the Centrale Surréaliste or Bureau of Surrealist Enquiries, was a Paris-based office in which a loosely affiliated group of Surrealist writers and artists gathered to meet, hold discussions, and con ...

, writing the preface with

Paul Éluard Paul Éluard (), born Eugène Émile Paul Grindel (; 14 December 1895 – 18 November 1952), was a French poet and one of the founders of the Surrealist movement. In 1916, he chose the name Paul Éluard, a matronymic borrowed from his maternal ...

and Roger Vitrac to the first issue of ''

La Révolution surréaliste ''La Révolution surréaliste'' (English: ''The Surrealist Revolution'') was a publication by the Surrealists in Paris. Twelve issues were published between 1924 and 1929. Shortly after releasing the first ''Surrealist Manifesto'', André Breton ...

''. Preferring photography to literature, he served as

Man Ray Man Ray (born Emmanuel Radnitzky; August 27, 1890 – November 18, 1976) was an American visual artist who spent most of his career in Paris. He was a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealism, Surrealist movements, although his t ...

’s assistant from 1924 to 1929. During the 1920s, he took portraits of the English writer

Nancy Cunard Nancy Clara Cunard (10 March 1896 – 17 March 1965) was a British writer, heiress and political activist. She was born into the British upper class, and devoted much of her life to fighting racism and fascism. She became a muse to some of the ...

and photographs of Paris which Breton used to illustrate his novel ''

Nadja Nadja may refer to: * Nadja (given name) * Nadja, pen-name of Louisa Nadia Green (1896—1934), British poet * ''Nadja'' (novel), 1928 surrealist novel by André Breton * ''Nadja'' (film), 1994 vampire film by Michael Almereyda * Nadja (band) ...

''. In 1928, Boiffard was abruptly expelled from the movement for taking photographs of Simone Breton. He co-founded a studio, ''Studio unis'', with photographer

Eli Lotar Eli Lotar (born Eliazar Lotar Teodorescu; January 30, 1905 – May 10, 1969) was a French photographer and cinematographer. Lotar was born in Paris, the son of Tudor Arghezi, a Romanian poet, and Constanța Zissu, a teacher. http://www.ziarul ...

in 1929, although the studio went bankrupt in 1932. From 1929 onward, Boiffard was closely associated with

Georges Bataille Georges Albert Maurice Victor Bataille (; ; 10 September 1897 – 9 July 1962) was a French philosopher and intellectual working in philosophy, literature, sociology, anthropology, and history of art. His writing, which included essays, novels ...

and the circle of writers involved in ''

Documents A document is a written, drawn, presented, or memorialized representation of thought, often the manifestation of non-fictional, as well as fictional, content. The word originates from the Latin ''Documentum'', which denotes a "teaching" or ...

'', in which his best-known work was published, illustrating articles such as Bataille’s "The Big Toe" (1929, issue 6),

Robert Desnos Robert Desnos (; 4 July 1900 – 8 June 1945) was a French poet who played a key role in the Surrealist movement of his day. Biography Robert Desnos was born in Paris on 4 July 1900, the son of a licensed dealer in game and poultry at the '' ...

’ "Pygmalion and the Sphinx" (1930, issue 1), and

Georges Limbour Georges Limbour (Courbevoie, 11 August 1900 — Chiclana de la Frontera, near Cadiz, 17 May 1970)Colin-Pichon, M., Georges Limbour: le songe autobiographique, Lachenal & Ritter, Paris, 1994, pp. 209–219 was a French writer, poet and art critic, ...

’s "Eschyle, the carnival and the civilized" (1930, issue 2). Boiffard's photographs often manipulate scale and point of view, transpose multiple exposures, and contrast brightly lit objects against darkened backgrounds. He also made several

photogram A photogram is a photographic image made without a camera by placing objects directly onto the surface of a light-sensitive material such as photographic paper and then exposing it to light. The usual result is a negative shadow image th ...

s. In 1930, he contributed to ''

Un Cadavre ''Un Cadavre'' (''A Corpse'') was the name of two separate surrealism, surrealist pamphlets published in France in October 1924, and January 1930, respectively. Pamphlet of October 18th, 1924 The first pamphlet, arranged largely by André Breton ...

'', a pamphlet that attacked Breton. During the political turmoil of the 1930s, Boiffard was a member of the Groupe Octobre led by

Jacques Prévert Jacques Prévert (; 4 February 1900 – 11 April 1977) was a French poet and screenwriter. His poems became and remain popular in the French-speaking world, particularly in schools. His best-regarded films formed part of the poetic realist moveme ...

, and he exhibited his work as part of the Association des Écrivains et Artistes Révolutionnaires. He accompanied members of the Groupe October to Russia in 1933. Boiffard then set out on a world tour with fellow photographer

. Although partly financed by museologist

Georges Henri Rivière Georges-Henri Rivière (1897–1985) was a French museologist, and innovator of modern French ethnographic museology practices. Biography Rivière studied music until 1925, when he began museum studies at the École du Louvre from which he grad ...

and the Vicomte de Noailles the trip came to an early end in Tangiers. Following his return to Paris, Boiffard exhibited photographs from his travel in 1934 at the Galerie de la Pléiade. Following his father's death in 1935 Boiffard resumed his studies to earn a doctorate in medicine in 1940 specializing in radiology, once and for all putting an end to his career as a photographer. He served as a radiologist at the

Hôpital Saint-Louis Hôpital Saint-Louis is a hospital in Paris, France. It was built in 1611 by architect Claude Vellefaux at the request of Henry IV of France. It is part of the Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris hospital system, and it is located at 1 avenue ...

in Paris from 1940 to 1959. He died in Paris in 1961.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boiffard, Jacques-Andre 1902 births 1961 deaths People from Eure-et-Loir French surrealist artists French photographers