The Monument: Art, Vulgarity and Responsibility in Iraq - Softcover

In April 1981 Iraqi President Saddam Hussein began constructing the Victory Arch in Baghdad. The design called for two cast arms (exact replicas of Hussein's arms from just above the elbow) holding crossed swords. At the point of each arm's eruption from the ground 5000 Iranian helmets (from Iraq-Iran battlefields) are scattered in equal measure. The author, an expatriate Iraqi intellectual and author of Republic of Fear: The Politics of Modern Iraq ( LJ 4/1/89), discusses this (and other aspects of Hussein's monument) in terms of the Iraqi psyche, Hussein's vision of himself and his society, and the relationship between art and cultural imperatives. His conclusions are penetrating and indicate critical areas for Iraqi social scientists to resolve in the post-Hussein era. The writing is complex and requires close attention--this is not for the casual reader. Recommended for libraries with collections in the area.
-David P. Snider, Casa Grande P.L., Ariz.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.