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Empires - The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance

A fascinating and highly entertaining look at one of the most important families of the Renaissance era--the Medici.
Sister Wendy - The Complete Collection (Story of Painting / Grand Tour / Odyssey / Pains of Glass)

“Sister Wendy Beckett has transformed public appreciation of art through her astonishing knowledge, insight and passion for painting and painters.” This set includes Sister Wendy's Story of Painting, Sister Wendy's Odyssey, and Sister Wendy's Grand Tour. Simultaneously delightful and scholarly--this is a must have for anyone interested in art history.
Exit Through the Gift Shop

When British stencil artist Banksy traveled to Los Angeles to work, he came across obscure French filmmaker Thierry Guetta and his badly organized collection of videotapes involving the activities of graffiti artists. Inspired, Banksy assembled them with new footage to create this talked-about documentary, and the result is a mind-boggling and odd film (so strange as to be thought a hoax by some) about outsider artists and the definition of art itself.
The Impressionists

A dramatization of the Impressionist movement as seen through the eyes of Claude Monet. Highly entertaining and informative.
The Impressionists: The Other French Revolution

A very personal and revealing look at the personalities that created Impressionism.

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Entries in Jackson Pollock (7)

Wednesday

Aug082012

Modern Art Was Cia 'Weapon'

Wednesday, August 8, 2012 at 11:22AM

Brois Kustodiev (click photo for larger image)The following link will take you to an older--but nonetheless interesting--article, on the CIA’s use of artists’ works as propaganda, during the Cold War:

“The Central Intelligence Agency used American modern art - including the works of such artists as Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell, Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko - as a weapon in the Cold War. In the manner of a Renaissance prince - except that it acted secretly - the CIA fostered and promoted American Abstract Expressionist painting around the world for more than 20 years...."

Considering that the general American public was not particlarly interested in modern art (or the work of the postmodernists noted above), the choice, on the part of the CIA, to use them actually demonstrates a certain sensitivity to the work that hadn’t yet been instilled in the population at large, in this country. Abstract Expressionism was certainly different from Soviet art. A documentary was released in 1995 that focused on this topic. The title is “Hidden Hands: Painting with the Enemy” and it’s listed on the IMDB. But, I haven’t been able to locate it. Maybe you’ll have better luck!

Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin (click photo for larger image)