6 plays by Ulises Carrión

[14] pp., printed on rectos only. 8vo (191 x 140 mm.), upper wrapper printed in red & black, saddle-sewn binding. Amsterdam: Kontexts Publications, February 1976.


One of 100 numbered copies of a rare Ulises Carrión (1941-89) bookwork; WorldCat records four American libraries with examples (as of April 2025). Based on a performance by the artist, this book, containing plagiarized text from six different plays, harkens back to the Mexican artist’s evolution from young star of Mexico’s literary scene and author of several lauded short story collections and plays to a visual artist in the Netherlands disowning his promising past.
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According to Schraenen and Maike Aden’s research in Dear reader. Don’t read., 6 Plays was performed twice, first in 1975 at Centrum ‘t Hoogt (photograph on p. 146), and then in 1981 at San Francisco’s La Mamelle (by Bill Gaglione and Darlene Domel). The resultant book was published by Kontexts Publications, the brainchild of British artist and poet Michael Gibbs (1949-2009). Gibbs and John Liggins were responsible for the design and printing.


A near fine copy; creasing to a corner of the upper wrapper.


❧ J. J. Agius & R. Ocampo, eds., Ulises Carrión: Books & More, Catalogue Raisonné (2013) 12.


G. Schraenen, ed., Dear reader. Don’t read. (2016), p. 144. (Inventory #: 10891)