Maurice Lemaître, born on April 23, 1926, in Paris, is a distinguished French artist, writer, and poet, recognized as a pivotal figure in the lettrisme movement that emerged in the 1950s. His educational journey took him through the School of Arts and Crafts and Public Works, followed by a philosophy degree at the Sorbonne after participating in the Liberation of Paris.
Lemaître's professional career began in 1948 when he ventured into journalism, contributing to a newspaper associated with the libertarian movement. The following year, he encountered Isidore Isou, whose avant-garde and political ideas deeply resonated with him. This encounter propelled Lemaître into the heart of the Lettrist movement.
In 1950, he launched the "Youth Front," a political journal, and simultaneously established "Ur," a literary and pictorial magazine that became synonymous with lettrism, often referred to as "The Minotaur" of the movement. Lemaître's artistic pursuits expanded across various disciplines, including poetry, theater, dance, novels, painting, photography, film, economics, psychopathology, and psychotherapy.
Despite his significant contributions to lettrisme, Lemaître began to distance himself from the movement around 2000, leading to a period of relative isolation from its core group. His diverse body of work and innovative spirit continue to influence contemporary art and literature.
