Artwork Details
20 x 14 in. (sheet)
Mark DescriptionInscribed in pencil, below image, l.l.: 1/250 Inscribed in pencil, below image, l.c.: ABU GHRAIB signed and dated in pencil, below image, l.r.: R Serra/2004 blindstamp, l.r.: [ Gemini] stamped, verso, l.l: Published by Gemini G.E.L. LLC / Los Angeles, California / c 2004 Richard Serra and Gemini G.E.L. LLC
Accession NumberGift of Ann M. Stack
CopyrightPrints, Drawings, and Photographs
Color PaletteProvenance
Provenance
Purchased by Ann and Chris Stack, Indianapolis, from the publisher, Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California, 2004.
Gallery Labels
Gallery Labels
Since its release to the media in April of 2004, the picture of a hooded prisoner suffering torture at the hands of United States soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq has circulated widely. The image is shown here in a lithograph by Richard Serra, who rendered the silhouette in rough strokes of an oil stick.
Known primarily for his massive steel sculptures, Serra first drew this figure as a political statement, with block letters reading "Stop Bush." He reproduced the work in art magazines; on a billboard; and as a flyer circulated freely online, at conventions, and at the 2006 Whitney Biennial alongside the original drawing. The figure here, with no written statement, is a testament to the power of an image and its life through popular distribution.
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