History worth knowing
The CIA's Secret Masterpiece
10 min
During the Cold War, the CIA secretly funded Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko to prove American intellectual freedom surpassed Soviet realism. This episode traces the bizarre intersection of avant-garde creativity and geopolitical espionage.
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Show notes
Discussion of the CIA's 'Long Leash' policy and its impact on modern art.
The role of the Congress for Cultural Freedom in Cold War propaganda.
How the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) collaborated with intelligence agencies.
Profiles of Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko as unwitting cultural ambassadors.
The nineteen sixty-seven expose that ended the secret funding era.
In this episode
- 1Intro1 min
- 2The Cultural Arms Race2 min
- 3The Long Leash Policy2 min
- 4Mummy's Museum and the Rockefeller Connection2 min
- 5Unwitting Pawns: Pollock and Rothko3 min
- 6Outro1 min
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