December 13, 2004

Steve Mumford: Baghdad Journal

Loyal comrades will NOT inspekt this so-called artist's work, sketches and watercolors of Amerikan troops in Iraq. Nyet.

As article in NYTimes points out:

Mr. Mumford's solo show last fall at the Postmasters gallery in Chelsea, the drawings perplexed some critics because the Iraq depicted seems relatively tranquil. ... Within the art world, which tends to operate under its own rules of engagement, there has also been unease about the illustrative aspect of the work, and for some it lacks the expected political edge. "I think it's difficult for them to look at what I'm doing because I don't take an antiwar position," Mr. Mumford said.

Comrades, "I am outraged." These pictures show GI's in their ordinary life, in combat, receiving awards, with Iraqis, with "Catfight Girls" (Tanya Ballinger and Kitana Baker)*, vechicles, scenes from Tikrit, ordinary Iraqis.

Note: For those who cannot resist urge to inspekt, THIS is best link to main ARTNET article. Fifteen 'Baghdad Journals,' starting in August, 2003, each with a dozen illustrations and a diary of his time.

Comrades could also read linked NYTimes article about this artist, who wholly fails in his agitprop responsibilities.


Posted by Commissar at December 13, 2004 11:45 AM
Confessions

That's awesome. I've been following Mumford's column regularly since it started and pointing to them on my blog. For a while it seemed that it provided the only on-the-ground analysis of what was going on in Iraq. At the very least, it provides a unique perspective on the happenings from Iraq. You don't get it from MSM, and it doesn't have the same quality as military or Iraqi bloggers either. Good stuff. It's great that they finally archived them all on one page.

Extracted from: Mark at December 13, 2004 01:05 PM

The fairly well-known Canadian painter Alex Colville was a war artist in WWII when he was young and there is a similar tone to his drawings from that time but it was more about exhaustion to my mind. Mumford, however, does not choose go or have access to front line events as you would see in Colville. But, then again, these are different wars, this without the scale of fight or the equality of enemy. Those differences do not need taking a political stance but still may speak to his choice of subject.

For Colville's art for comparison see: http://collections.ic.gc.ca/courage/alexcolvilleswardrawings.html

Extracted from: Alan at December 13, 2004 07:29 PM

Mumford has spent a lot of time on the front line, in combat, illustrated on many of his pieces.

Extracted from: The Commissar at December 13, 2004 08:35 PM

Where? I looked through the whole site you linked to and there were loads of guys sitting around quietly. One called "Fire Fight" was from in an armoured vehicle on a road with the enemy position hundreds of yards away. That I am not dissing the guy but there is not much in the way of the combat journalism moment - but that may be the real point. Lots of scenes of the normal, which is good, but even "The AK-47 Round" is an image of soldiers standing and waiting and fairly expressionless. Lots of being on guard and following up, which is so much of the reality.

Extracted from: Alan at December 13, 2004 10:37 PM

Maybe I was influenced by the writing in the journals, like "... 7/29/04 - Retaking Baqubah with the 1st ID."

Agreed, most of his pics are sedentary.

Extracted from: The Commissar at December 13, 2004 10:40 PM

I'd imagine that when bullets are flying, standing around drawing what you see is kind of counter-intuitive.

Extracted from: McGehee at December 14, 2004 10:54 AM

Just to keep these things together, Argghhh! has put up a link to a great PBS site on WWII war artists.

Extracted from: Alan at December 14, 2004 07:26 PM