Abstract Expressionism In The Cold War

In an article entitled american painting during the cold war published in the may 1973 issue of artforum max kozloff pointed out the similarity between american cold war rhetoric and the way many abstract expressionist artists phrased their existentialist individualist credos supporting ideas. Communism an ideological theology derived by karl marx promoted the war against separate social classes. Newman claimed that instead of using outlines instead of making shapes or setting off spaces his drawing declares the space.

In the case of the abstract expressionists the attitude was a reaction to the social and political values of the cold war.

Abstract expressionism in the cold war. The decision to include culture and art in the us cold war arsenal was taken as soon as the cia was founded in 1947. The cold war and the american abstract expressionism 865 words4 pages with the increasing influence of communism spread by the soviet nation tensions rose between russia and the united states starting the cold war. America in the 1950s abstract expressionism emerged in a climate of cold war politics and social and cultural conservatism. Abstract expressionism and the cold war since the mid 1970s it has been argued that the style attracted the attention in the early 1950s of the cia who saw it as representative of the us as a haven of free thought and free markets as well as a challenge to both the socialist realist styles prevalent in communist nations and the dominance of the european art markets.

Yet no one would think to add abstract expressionist paintingto a list that includes fast food and walt disney products. In 1999 the british journalist and historian frances stonor saunders published a book about the cia and the cultural cold war in which she asserted. World war ii had positioned the united states as a global power and in the years following the conflict many americans enjoyed the benefits of unprecedented economic growth. Nevertheless the work of such artists as jackson pollock mark rothko and willem de kooningwound up as part of a secret cia program during the height of the cold war aimed at promoting american ideals abroad.

Dismayed at the appeal communism still had for many intellectuals and artists. Abstract expressionism emerged in a climate of cold war politics and social and cultural conservatism. Abstract expressionism was being deployed as. This book rereads clement greenbergs account of abstract expressionism through adorno and merleau ponty in order to contend that greenbergs criticism in fact testifies to how the movement opposes.