Chimera, 1991 was printed by Regina Held, at the University of Texas, as part of the visiting artist program. The source image is Chimera, 1777-1784, by Jean-Louis Desprez. This surprising French eighteenth-century image is of a beast, born in the burning sands of Africa. It lived in the ruined palace of Masinissa (ca. 240-148 B.C.), the former ruler of Numidia. The chimera left only to devour animals and unwary travelers. Neither land nor sea could contain the monster, which moved ceaselessly over both in his unending hunt.

In 1991, Saddam Hussein called the Iraq War "The Mother of All Battles". I found nothing maternal about the war, so reworked the Desprez Chimera, adding elements from news coverage of the war.