Lamassu is an artifact that was built in the ancient Nineveh, reflects a carving of winged protective spirit. The Lamassu was a public monument in Iraq, but was destroyed by Isis in 2015 (Khatchadourian). Rakowitz repaired the Lamassu on March, 2018 using locally available materials such as cans of date syrup from Iraq. Rakowitz chooses to use modern materials as a way of integrating the past and the present. Additionally, traditional materials such as alabaster or limestone seem to be outdated and hard to find. The analysis of the image depicts Rakowitz’s background to have influenced it. Rakowitz’s location is traced to be from the Islam world, Baghdad, Iraq. Rakowitz’s parents are from Iraq and therefore, it is evident that Rakowitz’s is attached to the Islam world which also influences his art.
To preserve the art’s authenticity, the materials used are from Iraq and not just any other country. This depicts a way in which the originality of the image is preserved. In the making of Lamassu, a drawing is first made, followed by a skeleton where all joints are joined together. The finishing involved cutting the date cans and fitting them in the skeleton. The finished art comes as a finely made Lamassu. It is said to be a protective spirit in the ancient Nineveh (Khatchadourian). Nineveh is a biblical allusion city where Jonah was sent by God to Nineveh but refused from going and chose to go to Tarshis, currently Lebanon. Therefore, there is a great connection between the past and the modern by trying to revive Lamassu. It is used as cultural preservation where ancient people had gods used on different occasions. Lamassu is said to be a protective god that was destroyed in the Isis war. The works of Ratowitz serve as a great way of keeping the ancient Islamic culture.
Reference
Khatchadourian, Raffi. “The Art of Return.”The New Yorker, 2020. Web.