Call for Papers
Marshalling American Art: Exhibiting Ideology in the Cold War

Organised by Alex Taylor, Tate and Julia Tatiana Bailey, University
College London
Supported by the Terra Foundation for American Art
More at www.tate.org.uk/about/projects/refiguring-american-art-1945-80
In 1948, under the economic recovery programme known as the Marshall
Plan, Europe was the recipient of some $17 billion dollars in aid from
the United States. Ostensibly aimed at spurring economic growth, the
initiative also sought to cement American political influence in the
region, in line with the Truman administration's wider policy of
containment to prevent the spread of communism. In the decades ahead,
and especially as the politics of the Cold War intensified, the cultural
influence of the United States emerged as an increasingly visible and
contested issue across Europe and the United Kingdom.
Exhibitions provided one crucial medium for the advancement of this
strategy and a forum to debate its legitimacy. Whether in response to
large and high-profile touring shows, or to smaller displays at
commercial galleries, the reception of post-war American art was
frequently refracted through the prism of cultural imperialism and
'coca-colonisation'. Beyond art exhibitions, these were debates that
found further visual expression in the wide range of fairs and trade
events through which Cold War ideology was put on public display.
Presented as part of the Tate Research project Refiguring American Art
1945-1980, this workshop will bring together an interdisciplinary group
of scholars from fields including art history, American studies,
politics and international relations to present new research into
exhibitions of American art and visual culture during the Cold War.
Possible topics include:
- Global exhibition histories of American art
- Institutional and governmental frameworks for American art exhibits
- Ideological and political dimensions for transnational exhibitions
- Art in embassies and other cultural diplomacy practices
- American participation in post-war biennales and art fairs
- The American image at world's fairs and trade exhibitions
- Private, commercial and corporate motives for American art exhibitions
- Touring exhibitions and international trade relations
- The domestic impact of global exhibitions of American art and culture
- Criticisms and rebuttals of American exhibitions during the Cold War
- American artists and the politics of international cultural exchange

Abstracts due 27 February 2015.
Speakers notified by 6 March 2015.
Papers should be 15–20 minutes in length.

To propose a paper, please email an abstract of 200 words or less and a
50-word biography in a single Word document to alex.taylortate.org.uk
by 27 February 2015.