Here at Broad Street we are fascinated with the ways art reflects life—sometimes in surprising forms. The Atlantic recently ran a piece that showcases one such example.
Cosimo Bizzari writes about a recent trend taken by Afghan rug-weavers:
When it comes to what to depict on rugs, Afghan weavers traditionally turn to what’s most familiar. So in the 1980s, when the Mujahedeen were fighting back the Soviet occupation, some local weavers abandoned flowers and water jugs to illustrate what their days consisted of back then: war.
These skilled traditional weavers began making rugs featuring helicopters and tanks. Now, Bizzari writes, these weavers have added a new element to their “war rug” depictions: the unmanned drones which so define the current wave of military occupiers.
