How Jackson Pollock and the CIA Teamed Up to Win The Cold War
Unlikely bedfellows, ironic subterfuge, and the American Left
“I could do that.”
We’ve all thought it, whether out loud or in secret, standing in the hallowed halls of museums of modern art across the world witnessing the violent glorified entropy of abstract expressionism.
An art form defined by lack of form, it has become an easy target for both scorn and idolatry. It is the butt of so many jokes, and yet produced three of the ten most expensive paintings in history.
What began as a rejection of ideology has become an ideology all unto itself; modern art requires a certain faith. There are those who “get it” and those who just simply don’t.
So, at the advent of abstract expressionism, why did the CIA want people to “get it” so badly?
That may seem like an odd question.
In the early 1950’s, folks had much greater criticism for abstract expressionism than the fact that it looked easy to make. Remember, this is the time of grey suits, white picket fences, and McCarthyism. Harold Harby, Los Angeles councilman, declared:
“Modern art is actually a means of espionage. If you know how to read them, modern paintings will disclose…
