Presenting Mr. Tracy: An American Sur-Realist.

THIS YEAR there appeared from the presses of the Christopher Publishing House of Boston a small, compact book entitled "An American Sur-Realist." It was written by Mr. Charles Tracy of Prescott and Tucson.

We prevailed upon Mr. Tracy to do a bit for ARIZONA HIGHWAYS, which he graciously consented to do. "Painting Superstition," beginning on the adjoining page, is an example of Sur-Realism in writing. We invite your attention to it, not in the form of levity, but as a serious studied expression of a man who is considered a world leader in a literary style.

What is Sur-Realism? Perhaps Mr. Tracy can help us. In his photo-dreamdrama, "Never But Ever" in the book "The American Sur-Realist," we hear the "cultured voice speaking:"

"Sur-realism is as old as the imagination of mankind. It has stood out as a popular form of art ever since our ancient forefathers carved their dreams upon the walls of their cave dwellings."

"Sur-realism is a word that has been coined to designate all the various forms of the creative arts that deal with a combination of the conscious and subconscious conceptions of a related story."

"We have all become familiar with sur-realist paintings, having seen them on page after page of some of our popular magazines, in the art galleries and even as advertisements in shop windows and on billboards. These odd pictures have amused, and often infuriated us, because, until quite recently, society has only permitted publication of rational subjects. Today, however, science, has revealed to us that all of our conscious acts are so closely related to that great mental storehouse, the subconscious or dreamworld, that sincere representations of our dream experience are, after all, of proper educational and entertainment value."

"Sur-realism as an art cannot be fully understand by the rational mind, even as our dreams cannot be correctly interpreted, because its very substance is an irrational composition. We therefore ask that our audiences do not try to understand, but, rather, receive our offering only as an interesting and unusual form of entertainment."

Mr. Tracy's book consists of some 23 sketches, plays and poems, in which appears "Oo to Ah," the playlet that was broadcast by the Columbia Workshop last summer. There also appear six reproductions of dream-form paintings by Mr. Tracy, vivid examples of sur-realism in painting. If you approach the book in the rational manner, bluntly asking "why" and "wherefore" you will be confused. If you follow his advice and receive the book "only as an interesting and unusual form of entertainment" there will be much to interest and hold you.

When we asked for a few notes to serve by way of biographical information to readers of ARIZONA HIGHWAYS, Mr. Tracy supplied the following: "Born, Columbus, Ohio, 1881. Surrealism first showed up in his career while as a pre-high school lad. He organized his own football team and instead of using standard numbers for signals, called his plays with names of fruit and vegetables.

"Studied in grade and high schools, followed by art school and college, but because of a natural rebellion against standards never was permitted to graduate from any of them. Also because of the same reason fared rather badly later in trying to hold down jobs in various artistic pursuits, such as cartoonist, poster designer, commercial illustrator, art director, scenic painter and scenario writer.

"Did well in vaudeville and as a movie actor in the old silent film days, having been featured by Thomas H. Ince, as RUMPLESTILTSKIN in the picturized fairy-tale of that name, and in other grotesque and imaginative character parts. As a regular straight actor both on stage and screen was a definite flop.

"Never could read books because it seemed to him that the authors missed the meat of their stories by too elaborate language and by the employment of far too many words. Wrote many of his poems and sketches just for fun before the present revolution of language had started.

"Went to Tahiti in 1932 to paint native life, and between paintings, began to write seriously. Prior to that time he had never punctuated his sentences. Studied a few books and articles to see how it was done, but finally concluded that it was all a matter of temperment, because the books and articles were punctuated differently, so invented his own system of punctuation. His peculiar abstract approach to a story, theme or situation, fitted nicely into the now popular manner called surrealism, and there you are. and so, as Mr. Tracy says, there you are. . . . R. C.

DRAWING BY CHARLES TRACY ARIZONA HIGHWAYS