Benjamin Peret

Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday Benjamin Peret!

Today I am writing about Surrealist poet Benjain Peret, even though he was not a visual artist, his poetry served as inspiration and muse to many Surrealist artists, including Remedios Varo (see post). He was born on July 4, 1898, in Paris.

Peret began his writing career as a proofreader for newspapers. He was an activist and after being expelled from Brazil he retuned to Europe, where he met artist Remedios Varo, in Barcelona.. The couple first relocated to Paris and finally exiled to Mexico after the German occupation of France. Peret was an important influence in Latin American art, both visual as well as written. Many of his works have been translated to Spanish.

Little Song for the Maimed

Lend me your arm
To replace my leg
The rats ate it for me
At Verdun
At Verdun
I ate alot of rats
But they didn't give me back my leg
And that's why I was given the Croix de Guerre
And a wooden leg
And a wooden leg