CARRIÓN, Ulises.

Missing Piece.

Graphite drawings on sliced wax paper with one rectangular portion removed from each leaf, laminated. [6] leaves, laminated covers with ms. title, signature, date, and place of publication, metal spiral-bound. [From lower cover]: Amsterdam: 1988.

A mysterious drawn bookwork by Ulises Carrión (1941-89). Made the year before his untimely death, this is one of a small group of unique books that the artist created in the 1980s. Very little is known about these works; some, including the present, are not recorded by Agius and Ocampo’s catalogue raisonné. This bookwork has a title close to that of a book found at the Victoria & Albert’s National Art Library — The missing piece (1984). The contents of the two are also quite similar: Carrión has drawn thick horizontal streaks on the recto of each leaf of thin, translucent paper. Every leaf is divided into six sections, and the artist has removed one section from each leaf, from left to right. Our book is signed on the upper cover by Carrión and dated “1988” on the lower cover. We cannot be sure whether Carrión intended to laminate this work, like several others, but the lamination has successfully conserved what would have been an extremely fragile book.

In fine condition. From the collection of Guy Schraenen (1941-2018), friend and creative partner to Carrión and the foremost chronicler of Carrión’s life and works through the exhibitions “We have won! Haven’t we?” (1992) and Dear reader. Don’t read. (2016).

❧ G. Schraenen, ed., Dear reader. Don’t read. (2016), pp. 84 & 100 (pictured).

Not in J. J. Agius & R. Ocampo, eds., Ulises Carrión: Books & More, Catalogue Raisonné (2013).