Abu Ghraib (Botero series)

The Abu Ghraib is a series of artwork completed by Colombian artist Fernando Botero. These pieces of artwork were designed as an expression by Botero himself in efforts to put on paper his feelings after a whistle-blower leaked images of what was taking place inside the Abu Graib prison in late 2003 after the United States of America invaded Iraq. Through his distinctive style, Botero once again used inflated, balloon figures to represent the dehumanization that was taking place in the Iraqi prison in the early 2000s.
Botero's Abu Ghraib Series is a collection of nearly one-hundred famous paintings and drawings all focused on persecution and suffering that was taking place in this particular Iraqi prison when the United States invaded their borders in 2003 and took over the Abu Ghraib Prison. As an artist who was used to expressing himself in many forms of art, Fernando Botero chose this series to institute his emotion on the matters of both local and global tragedies.
The title Abu Ghraib comes from a prison in Iraq which is known for the torture and violence which took place there during the Invasion of Iraq in 2003. Upon invading Iraq, the United States Military overtook the prison and then used it to house Iraqi prisoners during the war. By the end of the year 2003 the prison had become known throughout the world as a place of torture and dehumanization. This great scandal brought concern to many people as it was a surprise to all. In November, 2003 the first press release was published by the Associated Press revealing to the world what was taking place in the prison in Iraq during the war.
At this time in Colombia, Ferando Botero heard the news and saw the pictures of the horrific scenes which were leaked by a whistle-blower who had himself spent time in the prison. As Botero read the news daily, he was among the first to view these published images of the horrific scenes of torture and violence taking place in the prison of Abu Ghraib and was greatly astonished. Botero then decided to draw and paint those same scenes in his own style, allowing for the people of Colombia and in other areas of the world to better understand the dehumanization that was occurring in the prison during the Iraq war.
Fernando Botero explained himself when he saw the images of the torturous imprisonment in Iraq, "I was... in shock like everyone else in the world was, the more I read about it," Botero says. "Somehow I was more and more upset with the situation."
Once Fernando Botero saw the released images of the unbelievable torture taking place in Abu Ghraib, Iraq, he began his 14 month long journey focused on this, his honorable series. During this dedicated year and 2 months, Botero drew and painted what he felt was related to the happenings across the seas. His Abu Ghraib Series is made up of about 100 pieces of art both drawings and paintings all connected to each other.
Botero chose to focus his storytelling pieces of art on the written word of the news articles which were published about what was taking place in the prison. He refrained from referring to or using the famous images published by the press and solely let the texts inspire his art.
When asked about his reason for including details and even adding his own ideas to his art product, Botero suggested, "Some people think that this is more dramatic than the photos, and perhaps it is true, because, when you paint, everything that is not necessary, you let out. You go to the essence of... the subject."
Upon publishing his artwork, Botero was thought by many to be condemning the United States Military for the mistreatment of the Iraqi prisoners done by some of the US guards in Iraq. Botero plainly stated that his intent was simply to refute dehumanization and was in no way speaking out against the United States of America. Following Botero's adamance for the meaning of his expressive artwork, he has continued to state that the Abu Ghraib series was not meant to be anti-american, rather a support to the Geneva Convention - which stands for humanitarian law and protection.
"Anti-American it's not. Anti-brutality, anti-inhumanity, yes." Botero then continued to explain his stance on the matter, "I follow politics very closely. I read several newspapers every day. And I have a great admiration for this country. I'm sure the vast majority of people here don't approve of this. And the American press is the one that told the world this is going on. You have freedom of the press that makes such a thing possible" Fernando Botero took responsibility to continue spreading the world news through his aesthetic lens of artwork.
"Art is important," said Botero, "because when people start to forget, art reminds them what happened."
As an artist and Colombian citizen, Botero believed in the significant importance of his published paintings of Abu Ghraib was in bearing witness of the political events taking place. In 2006 after his completed Series had been released, Botero informed, “I am not making [politically] committed art—art that aspires to change things.” He continued, “I do not believe in that because I know very well that art does not change anything.”
As seen in nearly every other piece of art that Botero created, the voluminous people make up the story of the events of the Abu Ghraib scandal. Being one of the most famous painters alive during this time, many people were surprised that 74 year old Fernando Botero had yet again produced even more thought-provoking paintings and drawings than perhaps ever before.
Many of the paintings show blood on the prisoner's faces and arms. The Abu Ghraib 71 oil painting on canvas depicts a human's foot with a tight rope tied around their ankle. This image shows that the rope was so tightly tied and perhaps had been there long enough to make the ankle raw and there is blood on their leg where the rope is tied. In drawing 31 graphite and sanguine on paper, a naked man is seen handing from his hands which are tied together above his head. The man is falling perhaps due to fainting or pain. Although this drawing is done with graphite on paper, red marks of blood were added to the surrounding walls.
Botero used his reputable style of inflated persons as the focus of this pieces of art. Hardly any weapons are shown in any of the many paintings and drawings, instead, Botero quite largely represents the suffering inmates in a way that focuses solely on their facial expressions, grief, and discomfort.
As one can imagine, the media went crazy with the public imagery of the scandal taking place in Abu Ghraib. For many it even reminded them of 9-11 when the United States of America received a terrorist attack in New York City. This suprize layed a foundation for Botero's artwork. People were astonished at his artwork but had been previously and fairly warned by the scandal itself.
"Botero’s rounded forms stoke the viewer’s pathos because their tender composition contrasts so starkly with the scene’s brutality."
According to America's Quarterly it is said that, "The Abu Ghraib series was an artistic departure for Botero. Whereas his characters usually have inscrutable faces, Botero gives the prisoners expressions of pain, anguish and humanity. What is more, he hides the torturers from view, granting the prisoners the dignity of being the paintings’ subjects."
Joseph Boone goes into details regarding the form of art Botero uses to depict those suffering in the prisons of Abu Ghaib. He describes that the way he forms and paints the bodies enhances the ideas on the torture that was done to those poor people in Iraq. In his book The Homoerotics of Orientalism he wrote, “Botero links the degradation of the prisoners to violations of their culture’s gender and sexual taboos; thus, in some tableaux, the prisoners are “feminized” by being forced to wear women’s undergarments glaringly unsuited to their oversized and hirsute bodies, and in others they are coerced into bodily contact suggestive of sexual acts.”
For two years after Botero's Series was released, no North American museums offered to display his artwork. Finally, in 2006 the Marlborough Gallery in New York became the first venue to host the series. Later that year the University of California became the first exhibit of the Abu Ghraib Botero Series. To this day, most of Botero's Series is kept in the gallery in the University of California, Berkeley as part of their Latin American Studies Program.
The famous artwork series of Abu Ghraib completed by Fernando Botero is a historical representation of what happened in 2003 during the Iraq War. Many continue to wonder if Botero was offering more in his district images that has not yet been addressed.