UNTITLED TRACT COMPLAINING ABOUT PHANTOMAS. 1956. WITH A HANDWRITTEN NOTE FROM VAN BRUAENE TO MELLY.

Bruxelles: n.p. (the artist), December 1956

21 x 13.5, 2pp (folded to 4pp). A self published tract written by the Belgium surrealist group member Van Bruaene which complains bitterly but with some humour about the mis-editing of a textual piece by himself in an edition of the art periodical Phantomas.

Van Bruaene often wrote under the pseudonym of ‘Le Petit Gerard’ or, as here, “Zerar le bricoleur” and this is a wonderful instance of his wit where he tells an apocryphal anecdote about the stupidity of an art critic which (cryptically) is really aimed at the Phantomas editor. On the front (blank) cover of the text, Van Bruaene has written a note to his friend Melly, the British surrealist, close friend of Magritte and later famous jazz singer/musician: “Offert de tout coeur l’ambassadeur d'(?????), George Melly, Gerard 14, VIII, 57”.  One word is particularly hard to read/translate (thus the ????) and it may be a personal joke / nickname shared by the two men. Slightly browned otherwise very good.