“Abstract means literally to draw from or separate. In this sense every artist is abstract for he must create his own work from his visual impressions. A realistic or non-objective approach makes no difference. The result is what counts.”
Richard Diebenkorn (1922-1993) Ocean Park #137 1985 oil and charcoal on canvas 100 x 81 in. Price realised USD 22,587,500
The CIA’s promotion of Jackson Pollock and Abstract Expressionism was part of a broader Cold War strategy to position the United States as a leader in cultural freedom and innovation, countering the Soviet Union’s emphasis on socialist realism. This was done covertly through the following methods:
1. Funding Through Front Organizations
The CIA used front organizations like the Congress for Cultural Freedom (CCF) (founded in 1950) to secretly fund art exhibitions, publications, and cultural events. The CCF was an international group that promoted Western culture and intellectual life, and it received financial backing from the CIA without the knowledge of most participants.
2. Sponsoring Exhibitions
The CIA, through the CCF and other groups, helped organize international art exhibitions showcasing American artists, including Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning. One of the key exhibitions was “The New American Painting” (1958-1959), which traveled across Europe and was seen as a major moment in legitimizing Abstract Expressionism.
3. Support from Wealthy Patrons
The CIA also worked indirectly through influential figures in the art world, such as Nelson Rockefeller, who was a major supporter of modern art and had connections to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). MoMA itself played a key role in promoting Abstract Expressionism through exhibitions and acquisitions, with some scholars arguing that CIA funds may have indirectly supported these efforts.
4. Art as a Symbol of Freedom
Abstract Expressionism, with its emphasis on personal expression, was seen as the ultimate representation of freedom—an antidote to Soviet socialist realism, which depicted rigid, state-approved subjects. By elevating artists like Pollock, the CIA helped reinforce the idea that the U.S. valued creative liberty, which fit neatly into Cold War propaganda.
5. Influencing Art Critics and Publications
Art critics such as Clement Greenberg played a crucial role in promoting Abstract Expressionism as the pinnacle of modern art. Though there is no direct evidence that Greenberg was CIA-funded, his influence aligned with the agency’s goals. Magazines like Encounter, which was secretly funded by the CIA, also contributed to the spread of Abstract Expressionist ideas.
Did Pollock Know?
There is no evidence that Jackson Pollock (or other Abstract Expressionists) knew about the CIA’s involvement. The artists themselves were often left-leaning or even anti-establishment, which makes it ironic that their work was used as a Cold War propaganda tool.
Outcome
By the 1950s and 60s, Abstract Expressionism had become the dominant force in the art world, firmly establishing New York as the new center of modern art—overtaking Paris. This shift was largely due to the efforts of institutions that, in some cases, were backed by the CIA, whether directly or indirectly.
“I am primarily painting from photographs these days (from illustrated magazines but also from family photos), in a sense this is a stylistic problem, the form is naturalistic, even though the photograph is not nature at all but a prefabricated product (the “second-hand world” in which we live), I do not have to intervene artistically with style, since the stylization (deformation in form and color) contributes only under very particular circumstances toward clarifying and intensifying an object or a subject (generally stylization becomes the central problem which obscures everything else (object, subject), it leads to an unmotivated artificiality, an untouchable formalist taboo.”
Gerhard Richter Abstraktes Bild signed, inscribed and dated ‘809-4 Richter 1994’ (on the reverse) oil on canvas 88 5⁄8 x 78 3⁄4 in. (225 x 200 cm.) Painted in 1994. Price realised USD 38,175,000
“Painting is self-discovery. Every good artist paints what he is.”
Jackson Pollock Number 28, 1949 signed and dated ‘Jackson Pollock 49’ (lower left) enamel on canvas mounted on Masonite 12 7/8 x 13 in. (32.5 x 33 cm.) Painted in 1949. Price realised USD 6,705,000
“It’s instinctive in a certain kind of painting…It’s like a nervous system. It’s not described, it’s happening. The feeling is going on with the task. The line is the feeling, from a soft thing, a dreamy thing, to something hard, something arid, something lonely, something ending, something beginning.” — Cy Twombly
Cy Twombly (1928-2011) Untitled signed and dated ‘Cy Twombly 1970’ (on the reverse) oil based house paint and wax crayon on canvas 61 ¼ x 74 ¾ in. (155.5 x 190 cm.) Executed in 1970. Price realised USD 69,605,000
“In stating that Abstract Art died of acute boredom, I meant boredom on the part of both public and artist. The public got bored because these things meant nothing to them, and they only went to see them in the first instance because they made them laugh. After a bit they became a stale joke. The artists’ boredom was of a more complicated order. I will endeavor to explain it.”
