Health and Efficiency
by Dr. Lakra

Dr. Lakra, Jeronimo Lopez Ramirez, is an artist from Mexico known for the embellishing of various surfaces ranging from magazine pin-ups to dolls to human skin. A tattoo artist by trade his series of irreverent etchings over images torn from vintage nudist magazines is now contained in a book called Health and Efficiency from Editorial RM from Mexico City.
These are violent images pierced with humor, the embellishment of the reproduction offers angry fantasy that borders into misogyny. Lakra's parade of creatures prey on the women while at the same time expose humiliating masturbatory desire. Many of his phantoms are left simply watching, unable to participate beyond launching their seed in from the margins.
The nudist magazines he used as the starting point for his art were purchased from an outdoor market in London. Cloaked in appreciation for nudist values, the upbeat tone of these soft-core mags is despoiled by his cast of devilish characters and surrealist fantasy.
Health and Efficiency (the name of the magazines the source material was gathered from) gathers 41 of Lakra's guilty pleasures and although it invites reading in one sitting, it is better in small doses.
Abraham Cruzvillegas, Lakra's partner in crime pens a fine introductory essay.
Published in 2009 by Editorial RM. Hard cover and velvet-bound, 7-1/4 x 9-1/2,, 88 pgs , black and white and sepia images.

Price: $45.00