Art of War - A

Art of War - A fascinating piece in Chicago Boyz about Steve Mumford, an artist currently drawing post-war Baghdad.

It's a fascinating piece - both the Boyz' bit and the original Artnet piece. Read 'em both. Engrossing.

"Drawing here takes a little getting used to. The Iraqis are intensely interested in most things western, so the presence of an American sitting on a stoop or at a cafe making a drawing always elicits an avid audience. Every brushstroke is watched, and people have many questions. The Iraqi sense of personal space is very different from a westerner's; here people crowd in so close they're touching me, and men feel free to stab at the paper to point out someone I've drawn whom they know. If an onlooker blocks the view, however, he'll be shouted at to get out of the way. Sometimes a passage is greeted with a round of 'tsk, tsk, tsk,' which in Iraq doesn't necessarily connote disapproval as much as interest (I think). "

Verdict?

In general, Baghdad seems to me to be better than it was two months ago, despite the rise in bombings. Many of the huge mounds of trash are cleaned up, the curbs repainted, less gunfire at night. The endless gas station lines are much shorter, the traffic snarls less intense and there's more electricity at night, although still far from enough. Most importantly, the Iraqis of Al Wasiria seem to like these Americans, often calling out to them by name as they're on patrol.

About that last point; when discussing the issue with liberals who've bought the Dean/Kerry/Scheer/Dowd cant that Iraq is a quagmire, I've taken to responding "Let's revisit the question in a year".

History tends to be kinder to conservatives than liberals.

Mumford's drawings, by the way, are very interesting. I hope he has an installation around the Cities sometime.

Posted by Mitch at September 8, 2003 12:35 AM