Dr. Lakra
Dr. Lakra
Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston
April 14 – September 6, 2010
The exhibition at the ICA Boston was the artist's first solo museum exhibition in the U.S. A wide selection of Lakra’s work was presented, including, the “pin-ups”, objects, assemblage insect sculpture and a large-scale mural commissioned by the ICA.
Jerónimo López Ramírez signs his work as Dr. Lakra. The word “lakra” refers to a delinquent in Spanish. The alias illustrates the artist’s tendency to confront the establishment with the marginal, Dr vs. Delinquent. Lakra’s drawings are informed by tattooing and urban subcultures as well as the work of Mexican illustrators such as Jose Guadalupe Posada and Miguel Covarrubias, pulp fiction, pornography and pre-Columbian designs. Lakra creates most of his works by drawing on existing images, found objects, or large sheets of paper. To make his “pin-up” work, Lakra scours flea markets and bookstores around the globe looking for vintage prints, magazines, postcards, movie posters, photographs and advertisements on which to draw. Selecting images of retro-style subjects, which he then draws upon, covering with tattoo imagery; vintage and contemporary, as well as symbols from diverse cultures and body art traditions such as Chicano, Maori, Thai and Philippine. His work explores identity, challenging and reasserting social stereotypes by confronting images representing the monolithic nature of the socially conservative establishment with symbols appropriated from the ever-flowing trends of contemporary youth culture.
Adjunct Curator: Pedro Alonzo
Tour
Dr. Lakra
January 2011 – May 2011
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey
Dr. Lakra
May 2011 – September 2011
Museo de la Ciudad de México
Dr. Lakra
November 2011 – March 2012
IG @doktorlakra