Archivio Conz

Maurice Lemaître (1926, Paris, France – 2018, Paris, France ) was a French artist, writer, poet, filmmaker, painter, and photographer, best known for his role in the Lettrist movement. A key figure in post-war avant-garde art, he significantly contributed to experimental cinema, literature, and visual arts. Born in Paris, Lemaître studied at the École des Arts et Métiers and the École des Travaux Publics before taking part in the Liberation of Paris during World War II. He later pursued philosophy at the Sorbonne. In 1949, he met Isidore Isou, the founder of Lettrism, and quickly became one of its most dedicated members. That same year, he launched two publications: Front de la Jeunesse, a politically driven magazine, and Ur, a literary and artistic journal considered the “Minotaur” of Lettrism. Lemaître was a pioneer of experimental cinema, pushing the boundaries of narrative and form. His 1951 film Le film est déjà commencé ? (Has the Film Already Started?) is a landmark work in Lettrist cinema, challenging traditional filmmaking conventions by incorporating direct audience interaction, disruptions in projection, and a deconstructed storyline. This film influenced both the French New Wave and later avant-garde movements. He also helped develop Syncinéma, a Lettrist concept emphasizing an interactive and fragmented cinematic experience. Beyond film, Lemaître was an active visual artist, creating paintings, photographs, and sculptures that explored Lettrist and hypergraphic principles—works composed of complex signs, letters, and symbols. His art was exhibited in over a hundred shows, including retrospectives at the Centre Pompidou and the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. As a writer and theorist, Lemaître published numerous works exploring Lettrism and hypergraphy, including Qu'est-ce que le lettrisme ? (1953) and Le Syncinéma, la Ciné-Hypergraphie et le Film Imaginaire, expanding on the movement’s ideas in literature and film. In the later years of his career, Lemaître distanced himself from the Lettrist movement but continued working independently. His contributions remain essential to understanding 20th-century avant-garde art and its evolution across multiple disciplines. His legacy is one of artistic rebellion, innovation, and the continuous redefinition of artistic expression. Archivio Conz holds Lemaître’s several works such as Dessin lettriste, (1988), Untitled, (1964-1988-2007), and Sur Isou!, (1988) among others.