Ubu enchainé (Ubu Enchained)

Alfred Jarry wrote two additions to his comedic play Ubu Roi, the last being Ubu enchainé (Ubu in chains)—although neither was produced in his lifetime. In this vulgar Shakespearian parody, the character Ubu decides to forgo his duties as king and instead “help” his fellow man by becoming a slave. The plan, however, backfires and Ubu is forcefully freed by his loyal infantrymen, many with obscene names.

In late September 1937, a production of Ubu enchainé was performed by the Compagnie du Diable Ecarlate (the Scarlet Devil Company), which was founded by activist and Surrealist associate Sylvain Itkine. The 1937 World’s Fair was taking place at the time in Paris, which drew an influx of attention to the Surrealists. In a show of solidarity for the arts, the playbill for the show included interpretations of Ubu by various artists, including Pablo Picasso, Georges Hugnet, Andre Breton, and other avant-garde pioneers.

Drawing upon Jarry’s expert wordplay, Mary Reynolds created a clever binding for the playbill. The spine is inlaid with letters spelling out UBU in a chain-like composition, with the slopes of the capital U interlocked with the rings of the capital B. A peculiar aspect of this binding is the thick, colorful, filler pages that surround the program. In order for the book to maintain its structural integrity while still showcasing the UBU chain, Reynolds padded it with rainbow papers, reinforcing the book itself as an object or sculpture.