aventure. novembre. décembre. janvier. (All Published)
Aventure. Crevel, René, Roger Vitrac, Jacques Baron et al
Paris. 1921–1922
A complete set of the very scarce 'aventure' bridging dada and Surrealism and featuring Jean Dubuffet's first work.
Following in the footsteps of Jarry and Apollinaire, this scarce dada periodical with a strong flavour of Surrealism, was produced under the direction of René Crevel (by number 3 he is 'gérant') with assistance and contributions from Marcel Arland, Roger Vitrac, Jacques Baron and Henri Cliquennois. Literary contributors included both Tristan Tzara (for issues 1 and 3) and André Breton (issue 3) despite the pair having fallen out over the direction (or not) of dada. Numerous others, also later to become Surrealists contributed, including Louis Aragon, Georges Limbour, Max Morise, and Paul Morand. Although Breton too was a contributor to 'aventure', the contributors split between those who followed his leadership of Surrealism as a movement and those who favoured that of Yvan Goll.
A major theme, and one later addressed at length by the Surrealists, is the rôle of humour, its characteristics and its importance to, and the importance of, the works of Rimbaud, de Lautréamont and Jarry. The issue 'novembre' carries a questionnaire on the subject, 'Faillité de l'Humour?', with questions sent to various writers including Paul Valéry, Tristan Tzara, Jean Paulhan, Paul Dermée, Blaise Cendrars (he answers 'Merde' to all questions), Max Jacob and René Crevel.
'aventure' is also of considerable interest as it features five woodcuts - Webel 1 - 5 - by Jean Dubuffet for Roger Vitrac's 'Quatrains' in 'décembre'. These woodcuts date from Dubuffet's 'Période Préhistorique' (Dubuffet was born in 1901) and were published nearly 20 years before any further works by the artist. The five woodcuts are titled: 'Anges musiciens', 'Personnage ailé dans le firmament', 'Rivage, mer, bateau et visage allégorique du vent', 'Deux mains tenant un globe' and 'Personnage méditant devant une vue de Paris'.
'Ces cinq gravures sur bois on été réalisées par Dubuffet en décembre 1921 pour illustrer chacune un quatrain de Roger Vitrac publié dans la revue Aventure ... '. (Sophie Webel, classifying these woodcuts as from Dubuffet's 'Période Préhistorique').
Although no further numbers of 'aventure' were issued, many of the same contributors provided work for 'Dés', published in April, 1922.
'aventure' is of considerable scarcity and was likely printed in very small numbers: COPAC lists no examples in UK institutions save the later 1975 reprint; OCLC does appear to list copies but separating the facsimile and microfilm versions from the original and reprint seems impossible; the Bibliothèque Kandinsky in Paris holds a copy.
Some toning to leaves as usual, the paper brittle in places, some wear to wrappers with slight staining to those of 'janvier' but a very good copy overall of this scarce, ephemeral publication.
[Le Fonds Paul Destribats 159; Ades 8.36; Webel 1 - 5].
Following in the footsteps of Jarry and Apollinaire, this scarce dada periodical with a strong flavour of Surrealism, was produced under the direction of René Crevel (by number 3 he is 'gérant') with assistance and contributions from Marcel Arland, Roger Vitrac, Jacques Baron and Henri Cliquennois. Literary contributors included both Tristan Tzara (for issues 1 and 3) and André Breton (issue 3) despite the pair having fallen out over the direction (or not) of dada. Numerous others, also later to become Surrealists contributed, including Louis Aragon, Georges Limbour, Max Morise, and Paul Morand. Although Breton too was a contributor to 'aventure', the contributors split between those who followed his leadership of Surrealism as a movement and those who favoured that of Yvan Goll.
A major theme, and one later addressed at length by the Surrealists, is the rôle of humour, its characteristics and its importance to, and the importance of, the works of Rimbaud, de Lautréamont and Jarry. The issue 'novembre' carries a questionnaire on the subject, 'Faillité de l'Humour?', with questions sent to various writers including Paul Valéry, Tristan Tzara, Jean Paulhan, Paul Dermée, Blaise Cendrars (he answers 'Merde' to all questions), Max Jacob and René Crevel.
'aventure' is also of considerable interest as it features five woodcuts - Webel 1 - 5 - by Jean Dubuffet for Roger Vitrac's 'Quatrains' in 'décembre'. These woodcuts date from Dubuffet's 'Période Préhistorique' (Dubuffet was born in 1901) and were published nearly 20 years before any further works by the artist. The five woodcuts are titled: 'Anges musiciens', 'Personnage ailé dans le firmament', 'Rivage, mer, bateau et visage allégorique du vent', 'Deux mains tenant un globe' and 'Personnage méditant devant une vue de Paris'.
'Ces cinq gravures sur bois on été réalisées par Dubuffet en décembre 1921 pour illustrer chacune un quatrain de Roger Vitrac publié dans la revue Aventure ... '. (Sophie Webel, classifying these woodcuts as from Dubuffet's 'Période Préhistorique').
Although no further numbers of 'aventure' were issued, many of the same contributors provided work for 'Dés', published in April, 1922.
'aventure' is of considerable scarcity and was likely printed in very small numbers: COPAC lists no examples in UK institutions save the later 1975 reprint; OCLC does appear to list copies but separating the facsimile and microfilm versions from the original and reprint seems impossible; the Bibliothèque Kandinsky in Paris holds a copy.
Some toning to leaves as usual, the paper brittle in places, some wear to wrappers with slight staining to those of 'janvier' but a very good copy overall of this scarce, ephemeral publication.
[Le Fonds Paul Destribats 159; Ades 8.36; Webel 1 - 5].
pp. 32; (iv), 32; (iv), 48. 3 vols. 8vo. (230 x 146 mm). Printed text in French throughout, woodcut illustrations by Pierre Flouquet to each issue, issue 1 with additional illustration by Chas Laborde, issue 2 with Jean Dubuffet (see below) and Fernand Léger, issue 3 with Man Ray; 2 leaves of smooth tan paper with 'aventure / publie les oeuvres de ... &c.' and with advertisements for 'Zenit', 'Les Ecrits Nouveaux' and 'Action' bound-in to 'décembre', 2 leaves with advertisements bound-in to 'janvier'. Stitched as issued in original publisher's cream printed wrappers with Yapp edges, printed titles and black square vignette in black to front covers, price to rear covers, publication and contents details to inner front wrappers, later hand-decorated patterned paper-lined cream board protective box with title in blind to front board and label with title in black to spine.
#48722
