Abu Ghraib art exhibit to open in Berkeley later this month; Update: Explosion of British anti-war art
posted at 5:35 pm on January 16, 2007 by Allahpundit
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On January 29th. It’ll showcase 50 paintings by Colombian artist Fernando Botero, who took a hard look at Iraq two years ago and decided that of the various bombings, beheadings, and barbarities happening daily inside the country, what really horrified him was rogue GIs assembling Iraqis into naked pyramids. Entirely predictable, and entirely predictable that it’d create a stir.
His mission? To make sure no one forgets this little-covered, little-remembered event.
Botero said his intent is to emblazon the images upon the consciousness of the world.
“No one would have ever remembered the horrors of Guernica if not for the painting,” said Botero, referring to Pablo Picasso’s masterpiece “Guernica,” which depicts the aerial bombardment of civilians during the Spanish Civil War. [By Nazis, lest you miss the analogy. -- ed.]
I dabble in war art myself. Here’s one I call “Occupation.”
“Chimperor/Hands Off Iran.”
And my masterpiece, “Halliburton.”
Update: The Royal Shakespeare Company, among others, wants in on the fun. “Much Ado About Nothing” as a commentary on … Iraq?
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Careful there AP, you may wind up getting an honorary degree from Berzerkekely if you keep that up.
bbz123 on January 16, 2007 at 5:39 PM
Sounds like old Fernando chewed one too many coca leaves.
maintenanceman on January 16, 2007 at 5:41 PM
Yes, let’s make sure that they also put in pictures of Pvts. Menchacha and Tucker as well to show their “civil rights” being violated as well. Oh, that’s right, just another in a long list of people who those on the left choose to forget.
Catie96706 on January 16, 2007 at 5:41 PM
Does he do his art in feces too? It’s always more moving in the medium of feces.
Mark V. on January 16, 2007 at 5:42 PM
I recognized the faces, but couldn’t remember the names. (How sad is that?)
blogRot on January 16, 2007 at 5:43 PM
Any body want to throw up???
PinkyBigglesworth on January 16, 2007 at 5:53 PM
I’m becoming more cynical and bitter by the day…
NTWR on January 16, 2007 at 5:56 PM
Are the idiots at Berkley also going to include some of Madonna’s work to go side by side with Abu Ghraib? Any Maplethorpe? Maybe the WTC sitting in a bottle of piss? The Pentagon painted with human feces? Flight 93 covered with Aids infected blood to fly over the crowd spraying the crowd with the infected blood? I’m sure if any of these elements are present, the wonderful NEA will be using our tax-dollars to fund it……
ritethinker on January 16, 2007 at 5:57 PM
Yes, the muscular monumental men who kill women and children are needing to have their dignity restored. Yes, i threw up in my mouth a little when I read that too.
bbz123 on January 16, 2007 at 5:57 PM
I’ve seen Guernica. I’ve been to Picasso exhibits, and have been a Picasso fan for a long time. You, Sir, are no Picasso.
Kid from Brooklyn on January 16, 2007 at 6:01 PM
Liberals being liberals. I’m hoping that maybe, just maybe, muslims will be offended by this filth (kind of like with cartoongate), and these morons at Berkeley will shut the hell up (and Fernie will go into hiding).
Rick on January 16, 2007 at 6:08 PM
Art imitating ignorance.
Colombian artist huh?
*snort*snort*
fogw on January 16, 2007 at 6:09 PM
What’s next…the Guantanamo exhibit?
JetBoy on January 16, 2007 at 6:13 PM
Let’s pool our lunch money and organize a tour of his work in Iraq with the artist along for narrative. He couldn’t last more than a week.
Griz on January 16, 2007 at 6:13 PM
Right next to the “secret prisons” exhibit, which is before the Taliban memorial.
Rick on January 16, 2007 at 6:16 PM
This will be his justification for going over the top and “interpreting” what he believed happened on to the canvas.
Thank you Botero, because I frankly had never even heard of Abu Ghraib. I mean, it wasn’t like the NY Times had 45 consecutive days with front page stories, and it’s not like it’s not brought up on an almost daily basis to this day, despite the fact that the “abuses” don’t come anywhere close to the mass murder and torture of the Saddam Hussein regime.
Well, I was actually going to link everyone to video of people having their hands and tongues chopped off and being pushed off the roofs of buildings by Saddam’s goons, however it appears the censoring libs at YouTube have been up to their old tricks again.
RightWinged on January 16, 2007 at 6:28 PM
I agree with the “Halliburton” caption.
Suggestion for exhibit I s/b “Barbarity I” and for II “Barbarity II”.
Entelechy on January 16, 2007 at 6:41 PM
Artist, tool, or useful idiot? You make the call.
Mallard T. Drake on January 16, 2007 at 6:52 PM
The one in Pennsylvania, or Arizona?
Coyote D. on January 16, 2007 at 6:56 PM
Will this dope Botero reveal just how the naked Iraqi pyramids were built?
JackM on January 16, 2007 at 6:59 PM
One reason I like mocking the libs so much, is that they are such a constant source of irony and unintentional contradiction. Here we have a “serious” artist making an “important” statement to restore the “humanity and dignity” of these jihadists and islamofacists. But the exhibit is being shown in Berkeley. If the J&Is were to land in this country and take over, where would be the first place they would clean out (after Hollywood of course)? Berkeley and and other communities promoting the liberal free love, gay rights, diversity, women’s lib, anything goes lifestyle would be right in the center of their crosshairs.
Imagine the expressions of the little lib darlings as they welcome the misunderstood jihadists into their community and then wonder why they are being lead away in chains and irons. And then suddenly Abu Ghraib looks like a picnic….
Mallard T. Drake on January 16, 2007 at 7:01 PM
Idiot Tool.
TugboatPhil on January 16, 2007 at 7:02 PM
And this guy is an artist? More likely a propagandist for Mr. I Hate America. And who better to help expand his “career” than the leftist idiots at Berkeley (an alleged center of higher education).
Zorro on January 16, 2007 at 7:19 PM
Will there be feces on the “Book of Peace”?
I want my money’s worth, by damn.
seejanemom on January 16, 2007 at 8:09 PM
History will be the judge of this kind of “art.” It will show that when push came to shove, a lot of artists threw in with the forces of tyranny for 15 minutes of anti-American fame. It will note that these “artists” chose not to protest Soviet gulags, Islamic terrorism, genocide in Africa, and human rights abuses in Cuba, North Korea, and Iran. In short, it will reveal these “artists” for the callow, shallow, and cowardly tools they are.
Bill Ramey on January 16, 2007 at 8:57 PM
What Mallard said. Thank you sir, very well stated.
Also, depicting Abu Ghraib is a shot at our Soldiers without whom your little “art” expo would not exist. Your freedom of expression is defended not by arteesssts, but by Soldiers who fight in your stead. Put *that* in your bong and smoke it.
Tony737 on January 16, 2007 at 9:52 PM
I just read the Dinesh D’Souza interview over at NRO this morning, so I’m more than done with this kind of “artist statement.” Go read the NRO piece – Dinesh really nails it.
Here’s the gist of the argument. The far left in America doesn’t care about jihad any more than they cared about the gulag. They care about their ideology here at home. They correctly identify all of us (lead by the frighteningly Christian and Texan GWB) as their ideological and cultural enemies. They will take any opportunity to defeat us. In doing this, they are following their own warped self-interest. This art exhibit is just another opportunity to attack President Bush.
The far left does not see jihad as an American problem. They decry the overseas deaths (sometimes even sincerely), but obsess over the domestic threat of conservative politics and traditional morality. Therefore they act as defacto allies for the jihadis in defeating the political and military will of America.
They think the jihadis will not follow us home (therefore treating 9-11 as a unique criminal event). Nothing we can say — nothing we on the right have said for the past six years — will change their minds. They will continue to “speak truth to power” until red-state America shuts up. By the time these folks recognize their real enemies, it will be too late.
Anton on January 16, 2007 at 10:29 PM
It’s only a matter of time before Hollywood comes out with its first of many Iraq (anti-war) movies. And I’m not talking about the first Gulf War, of which they have alreay made a few.
Rick on January 17, 2007 at 1:20 AM
Rick, my last reply never showed up, so I’ll try again.
Every war movie made in the last four years IS ABOUT IRAQ, if only as metaphor and allegory. Go watch JARHEAD or Clint Eastwood’s FLAGS/LETTERS duology, and then try to tell me that the makers of those films didn’t intend for their creations to have some kind of relevance to current events in the GWoT.
mikeomatic on January 17, 2007 at 1:49 AM
I was an art historian in my former life (before 9/11) and let me tell you, Botero’s no great shakes…his creations consisted of sculptured hordes of Michelin Man-like balloon people.
Needless to say he was so Rodin.
Jen the Neocon on January 17, 2007 at 3:20 AM
I agree. I think all the movies that have recently come out were testers – get a feel for how far they can take things. But I still think they will be coming out with a long list of movies that deal directly with this conflict. I think last November’s elections will speed up the process – they probably feel they got the green light to proceed.
Rick on January 17, 2007 at 11:14 AM
It took me a while to come around, but now I understand that some art is best expressed in dung. May I recommend that the great artist Fernando Botero could best get at the raw truth of his ideas by expressing them in bullshit.
Tantor on January 17, 2007 at 2:24 PM
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