The American Abstract Expressionism movement was viewed in two very different ways during the Cold War period. Although the outlooks on the genre of art were each distinctive, the foundations for those beliefs were the same. Abstract Expressionism was raw. The artist intended to display his emotions as readily as he could on the canvas and to exemplify the act of painting itself. Brushstrokes were exceedingly important, as was both the use of canvas and the empty areas left over. Never before was the art of the paint on the canvas so vivid and as important as the method that the artist used.
Abstract Expressionism served as the “perfect contrast to the ‘regimented, traditional, and narrow’ nature of ‘socialist realism’…it was new, fresh, and creative.” (Cockcroft 151) This allowed the art to encompass the American ideals of “freedom of expression” and also to be rejected by many within our country based on the art rejecting “the norm” and providing a new and innovative idea of what art can be. Although many of the artists within the Abstract Expressionism movement intended to divorce politics and aesthetics, figures such as Rockefeller decided to promote what the artist freely created for “the symbol of political freedom”, thus “for political ends.”(Cockcroft 154)
Refregier’s San Francisco art project caused much uproar due to its nature of being “artistically offensive, historically inaccurate, and subversive,” while also creating an unreal reflection on the character of the state of California. (Mathews 157) The previous idea corresponds with Nixon’s statement of “…make a through investigation of this type of art in Government buildings with a view to obtaining removal of all that is found to be inconsistent with American ideals and principles.” (Mathews 158) The threat of Communism pervaded countless minds during the Cold War era in American society. We were forgetting the very basic principles America was founded on and allowing unsubstantiated suspicions to create parallels to countries such as Germany during the Nazism period, who wouldn’t allow particular art simply because it was different. The message of various art groups during the period was “regardless of style, subject matter, or the political beliefs of the artist, to destroy a work of art was to destroy freedom of expression.” (Mathews 159) That was the ultimate truth. No one should fear abstract images, violent brushstrokes, and vivid colors of paint on huge canvases, in regards that it’s sending subliminal Communist messages to the viewer. Abstract Expressionism was. Its goal was to be art. Fundamentalists were acting as they should, fearing the modern and contemporary, however not rightly so.
In this painting entitled Seated Woman by Willem de Kooning, we see the use of many ambiguous forms used in order to form a woman seated. There is little contrast between the colors and the shapes have chaotic structure within the painting. One would not normally depict a woman seated as Kooning has, but we are not hindered by his individualistic construction of his interpretation of a woman such as this. The fundamentalist would first notice the irregularity in shape and form of the woman, knowing that actual women do not look like this. Frustration would also stem from the ambiguity of the image as a whole and whether or not the title is trying to direct the viewer’s perspective towards what isn’t reality.
In this 1958 painting, The Windows, by John Ferren, we see the artist’s depiction of what appears to be a room with two windows. There are painted slashes and sponges of abstract colors that decorate the wall, floor, and window. One might say that the room would appear normal if these colors weren’t part of the painting. You cannot help to gaze out of the windows expecting to see something, be it grass, trees, or other images. The vividness of the yellow and red in the painting could be hinting at Communism in the minds of many individuals holding prejudice and traditionalist beliefs. You could go further to suggest that the positioning of the red lines and red abstract shapes allude to Communist symbols and flags.
This painting called Eve, by Barnett Newman obviously screams, “Communism!” Not rightly so, but many fundamentalists would probably argue that since this painting involves two shades of red, being the color of Communism, that it is trying to market the government’s ideals. Viewers might also be frustrated by trying to find the meaning of the title in the painting. One could associate the biblical character of Eve, eve meaning evening, or the period of time that precedes an event with the painting. Regardless, one can understand that the artist was simply creating a duality of shades of red.
This painting entitled, Self-Portrait, by Lee Krasner depicts the artist herself. We can easily make out through comparing the photograph of Krasner with the painting that this is a realistic interpretation of what she appears as. She uses contrasting colors and the use of white to create light within the painting. The green and brown colors behind her form shapes that suggest she might be painting outside. Her facial expressions and defensive pose may seem somewhat threatening to the viewer. Fundamentalist viewers would take notice to the choice in color Krasner chooses her model to paint with and also the red in her cheeks and lips. It might suggest to them that Krasner shares in the Communist ideals and is trying to convey that to others who view her paintings.
In this 1954 painting, Hibernation, by Morris Graves, we are first attracted to the duel red circles and the animal figure in the fetal position. The title allows us to understand that the creature is in its time of hibernation, burrowed deep in the brown earth. The colored rings that surround the animal are what enable the painting to deviate from reality and encompass the abstract expressionism ideas. Due to the use of lighter colors surrounding the red rings, one could say a light is shining towards the animal. The traditionalist might claim that Graves is trying to say that the light shining towards the creature in the darkness is representative of Communism. The red rings providing that light are trying to lead the ignorant, represented by the creature in hibernation, out of the darkness towards the light, being the intellectuality of Communism.
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