The Pact of Madrid, signed on 26 September 1953, brought the United States into a controversial alliance with Spain’s fascist government, ruled over by General Francisco Franco. Since the end of World War II, and the defeat of its Axis collaborators, Spain had been largely isolated from the international community and formally excluded in a UN resolution of 1946. But the deepening Cold War presented … Continue reading Art and Diplomacy in Franco’s Spain
This week marks 60 years since the armistice was signed on 27 July 1953, bringing an end to the Korean War. The conflict was the first military offensive of the Cold War and its repercussions continue to this day. The conflict provoked Pablo Picasso, a devoted Communist, to put brush to canvas to express his outrage at America’s participation in the war. Massacre in Korea blended Picasso’s … Continue reading Picasso Paints the Korean War
Born in Grand Forks, North Dakota in 1933, James Rosenquist began his career as a painter of commercial billboards. Images from the world of advertising have continued to permeate his work, but his vibrant, multi-referential style has also lent itself perfectly to absorbing and critiquing the politicised iconography of the Cold War. While at the forefront of the American Pop art movement in the 1960s, … Continue reading Featured Artist: James Rosenquist
