Andy

  Cold War - The War of Artistic Influence (The Other Side)      In the last blog, I highlighted the influence of the Cold War on art - specifically the Western perspective in which Western governments, especially the United States, sought to fund artistic movements that represented core beliefs in the freedom of expression and ideology (link to the last blog if anyone is interested -  Western Cold War Art Blog ).  In this blog, I will focus on the opposite end of the spectrum - a war of propaganda and influence entails two sides of the story. The USSR (Soviet Union) sought similar influence and control over the geopolitical landscape that emerged following World War II. The USSR and the United States both sought to gain societal influence, which influenced artistic movements throughout the Cold War.       Contrasting the Western-sponsored abstract expressionism movement was an Eastern European/USSR-backed socialist realism movement  ( UC San Diago ) . Socialist realism was largely con

  Cold War - The War of Artistic Influence      The CIA was known for funding and promoting abstract expressionist art under the premise that liberal creativity counters the rigid/cold style of social realism expressed by Eastern Europe; this rivalry stems from the war of ideological differences and influences commonly referred to as the Cold War  ( Apollo ) . Though called the "Cold War," conflict and military intervention were a common feature of the era including historically significant conflicts such as those by the USSR in Afghanistan and the United States in Vietnam. Frequently, the intervention of one state led to the support and funding for the opposing group in the region; this mentality spilled over into social and cultural ideology, including perspectives and approaches to art.       Cultural wars have been a fundamental aspect of international politics since the later half of the Second World War when the Museum of Modern Art was mobilized for the war effort; the