Pierre André Benoit, known as "PAB", was 35 and Picasso was 75 when they first met in 1956. Born in Alès in 1921, he died in 1993 without having ever left his region of origin. This aesthete with a passion for art, books, and poetry produced seventeen books with Picasso. His encounter with Michel Seuphor in Anduze in 1942 proved decisive for his life choices, after having been tempted to enter the priesthood. Through this mentor, PAB developed a passion for publishing and printing. Seuphor helped him define an editorial line that resulted in over 900 books with leading 20th-century artists.
PAB chose a radical approach to production, mixing technical skill and fine craftsmanship in a way that was quite different from that of other publishers. Although he used traditional printmaking practices, he was also inventive, skillful and sensitive. He focused on precision and nuance without translation or interpretation, aiming to perfect the printing of the piece that would then be signed by the artist.
Picasso, always on the lookout for unexpected results and new ideas, became friends with PAB, who had actually been trying to meet the artist for ten years!
PAB proposed texts by René Crevel, Tristan Tzara, René Char, and several others to the artist, and attempted to seduce him with his innovative techniques: celluloid and what he referred to as "cartalégraphie" (a print obtained with a piece of cardboard torn by hand or cut out with scissors, inked and pressed onto the paper; each print is therefore almost unique and there can only be a small print run). He pursued Picasso tirelessly and insisted in his letters: "See if my project resonates with you," he wrote on May 7, 1958, when he sent the artist René Char's poem "L'Escalier de Flore."
PAB and Picasso finally met at La Californie, when Autre chose was in the making. The publisher had actually received two etched plates (directly in his letter box, without a note!), printed the book, and went to see the artist following his invitation. It was 1956, and he had been waiting and hoping for this moment ever since 1947. Their collaboration would last until Picasso's death.
PAB was a discrete, modest, warm-hearted man. He loved simplicity, sobriety, style, and elegance, which were reflected in the peaceful fluidity of his work with authors and artists. “Nothing is more difficult than simple things, which are silently eloquent,” he wrote in the foreword to a book. A single typeface, Garamond, a penchant for white vellum, everyday words laid down on paper and an immense respect for others. PAB donated his collection to the town of Alès, where a very active museum which perpetuates his work bears his name, and to the National Library of France, where the output of this outstanding publisher has been meticulously inventoried by Antoine Coron.
With PAB, Picasso preferred to work with celluloid, which was more in keeping with his temperament. In 1960, the publisher wrote: “With his overwhelming presence, Picasso unwittingly expressed my most secret feeling, and I, in turn, revealed it in a poem. When we parted, he thanked me. Why? I, who should have thanked him a hundred times over, was speechless. Can a poet, however bereft he may be, and beyond his more or less fortunate talent, be a gift in and of himself?”
PAB produced a posthumous work as a tribute to Picasso in 1974. It was Alors, with the Homme au chapeau prints (cartalégraphies) that Picasso had signed in 1967.
The Pierre André Benoit (PAB) museum and library opened on January 14, 1989. It was created with the donation of his collection to the town of Alès in 1986.
La Rose et le chien, poème perpétuel by Tristan Tzara was considered a masterpiece of publishing.
Carole Hyza, « Sur le chemin des livres avec Picasso », p. 72, in the exhibition catalogue Picasso et le livre d’artiste, Bernard Chauveau Édition, 2018.
Poem by Pierre André Benoit, 1956, with an etching by Picasso, printed in black, blue, or red, depending on the copy.
Foreword to 111 Petites reliures, quoted by Anne Lamort, « Éloge de la simplicité, Pierre André Benoit (1921-1993) », p. 6, in Tajan, collection Pierre André Benoit, 2015.
En bas à gauche « Pour l'ami P.A.B./Picasso/Le 22.3.61. »
Alès, Musée-bibliothèque Pierre-André Benoît.
© Succession Picasso 2020
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