August 28, 2007
Abu Ghraib Art At Cal
Oh, Berkeley law professor and torture-sanctioner John Yoo's not going to be happy about this (or maybe he will be!) -- Cal has tentatively agreed to accept a controversial collection of paintings by Colombian artist Fernando Botero, based on the Abu Ghraib photographs that repulsed the world.
Botero showed the paintings at Berkeley earlier this year at the Doe Library, to large crowds, and in April, emailed Berkeley's Center for Latin American Studies to say he wanted to give the works to them. The gift is worth around $10-15 million.
The paintings'll probably stay with the UC, as the head of the Berkeley Art Museum is reputedly not a big Botero fan, and has indicated that he'd prefer the pieces to stay on campus due to concerns about the display of these pieces.
Exhibit catalog of the Botero: Abu Ghraib book.
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That's Attorney General John Yoo to you, sshl.
Wow, those are beautiful. And so indicative of the socialist realism influences on Latin American revolutionary art. The distended curves and sharp contrast are just like the Cavarrubias print over my desk! Me like.
-jacksonwest