History of the World by Eduardo Sarabia reproduces ten oil paintings based on the artist's family events and daily life. Reinterpreting the photographs as oil paintings he interrupts the viewer's reading of the figures and landscape with abstract markings, which also redefine the space within the composition. The book also includes an introductory section showing Sarabia's signature iconography; drawings used on the surface of the artist's ceramic works-his vases and plates. Fusing imagery of illegal contraband (from scantily clad, provocative women to marijuana leaves and automatic weapons) and more traditional folklore type decoration (cockerels, goats, wildlife), Sarabia's drawings address contemporary issues whilst referring to his Mexican heritage and parodying the cultural clichés surrounding drug smuggling, illegal trade and machismo.
