Meyer Schapiro, Abstract Expressionism, and the Paradox of Freedom in Art Historical Description

This article analyses a talk given by the American art historian Meyer Schapiro in 1956 that was broadcast on BBC radio as a review of an exhibition at Tate Gallery titled Modern Art in the United States. It reveals that Schapiro’s broadcast was funded by the US State Department and argues that this...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: C. Oliver O’Donnell
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Tate 2016-12-01
Series:Tate Papers
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.tate.org.uk/research/publications/tate-papers/26/meyer-schapiro-abstract-expressionism
Description
Summary:This article analyses a talk given by the American art historian Meyer Schapiro in 1956 that was broadcast on BBC radio as a review of an exhibition at Tate Gallery titled Modern Art in the United States. It reveals that Schapiro’s broadcast was funded by the US State Department and argues that this unrecognised historical detail exposes a paradox about the relation between facts and values in art historical description.
ISSN:1753-9854