China, Libya, Iraq, and the former Soviet Union, one thing that all

these oversized statues of local dictators have in common is the

laughably low quality of the art. The infamous bronze statue of Saddam

Hussein, toppled in Baghdad after US troops seized the Iraqi capital,

is a perfect example of this brand of official art: the inevitable

stiffness of pose, obligatory right arm thrust upward toward a bright

future, and total disregard for or lack of awareness of modern and

contemporary art. Needless to say, all these monuments were produced by

local artisans loyal to the political regime of the country...