Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink drawing by Dr. Lakra. It dates from 2003 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Created in 2003 by Mexican artist Jerónimo López Ramírez, known as Dr.
About this work
Overview
It belongs to a body of work in which the artist transforms printed media, embedding new imagery and meaning into existing visual fragments.
Created in 2003 by Mexican artist Jerónimo López Ramírez, known as Dr. Lakra, this work is a drawing on a found magazine page using colored ink and synthetic polymer paint. It belongs to a body of work in which the artist transforms printed media, embedding new imagery and meaning into existing visual fragments. The piece is held in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art, reflecting its significance within contemporary practices of appropriation and recontextualization.
Subject & Meaning
The figure is a woman seated on sand, her skin densely covered in tattoos of floral motifs, faces, and abstract symbols. She holds a white cloth across her lap, her hair styled in a high, full coiffure. Above her, Spanish text identifies her as 'Betty Gonzalez, La Romántica,' suggesting a constructed identity rooted in popular culture. The tattoos function as visual narratives, implying personal history and cultural memory, while the title’s absence invites open interpretation.
Technique & Style
Dr. Lakra employs fine-line ink and synthetic polymer paint to render intricate tattoo patterns with precision, mimicking the aesthetics of body art while adapting them to paper. The background remains largely untouched, preserving the magazine’s original texture and faint text, which contrasts with the dense, hand-drawn elements. The style blends folkloric detail with punk and underground influences, creating a layered visual language that bridges vernacular and fine art traditions.
History & Provenance
The work emerged from Dr. Lakra’s ongoing engagement with discarded print media, a practice rooted in his background as a tattooist in Oaxaca. Acquired by The Museum of Modern Art, it entered a major institutional collection following his international exhibitions, including shows at Tate Modern and the Barbican Centre. Its inclusion signals recognition of his unique approach to reworking mass-produced imagery as a form of cultural critique and personal expression.
Context
This piece reflects a broader trend in contemporary Mexican art that interrogates identity, marginalization, and the legacy of popular imagery. By embedding tattoos—traditionally associated with subcultures and working-class bodies—onto a glossy magazine page, Dr. Lakra challenges hierarchies of taste and authorship. The Spanish text anchors the work in a specific linguistic and cultural sphere, resisting universalizing narratives often imposed by global art institutions.
Legacy
Dr. Lakra’s use of found materials and tattoo aesthetics has influenced a generation of artists exploring the intersection of body culture and print media. His work contributes to expanding the definition of drawing beyond traditional supports, validating non-Western and vernacular practices within institutional frameworks. The persistence of such imagery in major collections underscores a shift toward recognizing art that emerges from lived experience rather than academic training.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jerónimo López Ramírez (born 1972), known as Dr Lakra, is a Mexican artist and tattooist based in Oaxaca.
