I spent a bit of time in Iraq researching the art and artists that made Saddam so poster friendly. There is nothing like an Arab strongmen mustache that screams stability. newlinesmag.com/essays/archaeo…
This 25 foot high head I found..did not fit in my luggage.
the number of artists hired to create the image were fascinating. They were given photographs to copy with specific instruction on what flaws to remove and what to leave. The pot belly was a must. All pics ©RYP
I tracked down sculptors and painters and found hundreds of projects. Within weeks almost all statues of Saddam were gone. Again these did fit in my luggage but damn my man cave weeps in sorrow. ©RYP
I also checked out the looting at various monuments. Many historic sites had been crudely rebuilt with each brick bearing saddam's mechanical signature. My last piece of collective art was courtesy of my favorite folks. ISIS has such bad taste in graphic design.
I spent a lot of time with the looters and exploring the inside of govt offices, palaces, homes etc. The cult of Saddam wasn't really considered newsworthy at the time. It was all WMDs WMDs WMDs Photos ©RYP
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