Open Collections

Abstract

This thesis examines Abu Ghraib Número 44, Abu Ghraib Número 45, and Abu Ghraib Número 59, paintings that are a part of the Abu Ghraib series by the Colombian artist Fernando Botero (1932-2023). The Abu Ghraib series is an extensive series of artworks that reference the Abu Ghraib photographs, known for their scandalous depiction of the extreme methods of torture used to abuse Iraqi prisoners of war by American military police at the Abu Ghraib military prison. Inspired by the photographs, in 2005 Botero revealed the Abu Ghraib series, which represents the atrocities of torture experienced by the prisoners. Prior scholarship has examined the similarities between the Abu Ghraib series and Botero’s depictions of narco-violence in Colombia. Previous research has also considered the permanence that the series brings to the ephemerality of the scandal of the Abu Ghraib photographs. However, there is a gap in knowledge concerning the presence of faceless institutional power in the Abu Ghraib series. This thesis addresses the lack of engagement towards examining the hidden power that cultivates the corporeal violence seen in these artworks. I argue that Botero represents power as faceless in the artworks Abu Ghraib Número 44, Abu Ghraib Número 45, and Abu Ghraib Número 59. Power, defined as the absolute dominance over the corporeality of the victims, is a dehumanizing presence made visible through the destruction of the physical forms and garments of the subjects in the artworks. The presentation of faceless power is compared to Botero’s depictions of Colombian violence, Masacre de Mejor Esquina and Muerte de Pablo Escobar, along with the artworks of Francisco Goya. Catholic iconography and psychological studies such as the Stanford Prison Experiment are examined to investigate the differential relationships of power between the victim and the assailant. This thesis argues that Botero showcases power as faceless in Abu Ghraib Número 44, Abu Ghraib Número 45, and Abu Ghraib Número 59 because anonymity conveys the absolute dominance and control of the abuser over its victims.