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Essay / Abstract Expressionist Art as a Weapon of the Cold War
Abstract Expressionism has been hailed as an unusual, highly personalized, and uniquely apolitical form of aesthetic expression. This abstract expressionism developed into art during the post-war period, where the American government used this art during the Cold War. When American government agencies discovered that there was a common connection between many artists and communist ideologies, they wanted to express the sense of Western culture as free, which the Soviet Union was not. The use of abstract works by artists such as Jackson Pollack, Robert Motherwell, William De Kooming and Mark Rothko as weapons during the Cold War was the subject of political and economic debate. Artwork created in this style was very energetic and messy. It was a combination of two affinities, firstly, creating entirely abstract works and secondly, expressing emotions using different colors. Many people find these works of art meaningless and uninteresting, but I will argue that we can still confirm the social values of these works of art, even if their production and circulation were funded by government agencies. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay. Jackson Pollack was one of the main figures in using this style in his paintings. Jackson Pollack's number one is abstract painting. His paintings were works of art that disobeyed orthodox rationalization. His work must be seen to understand it. Jackson Pollack's intention in creating this type of work was to make observers feel his actions. Using different layers of colors, textures, cigarettes on the canvas, he conveys movement in his painting without using any kind of imagery. Observers can almost smell the smell of paint and cigarettes when standing in front of his painting. A famous writer, Parker Tyler, referred to Jackson Pollack and his works as “the infinite labyrinth.” By labyrinth he meant an arbitrary sequence of directions designed, through the presentation of numerous movement alternatives, to mislead and imprison. But there is a real way out: towards freedom. He writes that “Pollack's painting flies through space like comets and, striking the flat canvas, bursts into frozen visibilities. What are his dense and glittery works if not the viscera of an infinite non-being of the universe? Something that cannot be recognized as part of the universe is designed to represent the universe in the totality of its being. We thus reach the true paradox of these paintings: being in non-being. » As this art brings people together and makes them feel different, it has as many social values as any other type of artwork such as cubism or surrealism. This freedom to paint is why American government agencies circulated these works of art. Furthermore, the social value of these works can be assessed by the fact that they are considered completely "American" and that the agencies used these works for the nationalism or patriotism of the country, which in turn tells us about the social values of this work. Keep in mind: This is just a sample.Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.Get a custom essayIn conclusion, although government agencies used abstract expressionism as a weapon of war cold and that their production and distribution have been fully financed..