Blue Poles: Jackson Pollock, Gough Whitlam and the Painting That Changed a Nation
Description
What does it take for a single artwork to shake a nation?
In 1973, Australia made headlines around the world with its bold $1.4 million purchase of Blue Poles by Jackson Pollock. Commissioned by the National Gallery of Australia during Gough Whitlam’s reformist government, the abstract painting split public opinion — stirring cultural debate, political outrage, and a media frenzy that continues to shape how Australians talk about art.
In this compelling work of narrative nonfiction, journalist Tom McIlroy traces the story behind the canvas — from Pollock’s meteoric rise and tumultuous life in postwar America, to the political conviction and controversy that brought his work across the ocean. Along the way, McIlroy explores the passions, people and politics that turned Blue Poles into one of the country’s most famous and contested cultural icons.
An essential read for anyone interested in Australian history, politics, and the power of art to provoke, persuade and endure.
About the author:
Tom McIlroy is a Canberra-based journalist with The Australian Financial Review, covering politics, policy and the arts. With a keen interest in cultural history, McIlroy brings insight and clarity to complex stories that sit at the intersection of art, power and national identity.
Product details:
Author: Tom McIlroy
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Pages: 272
Format: Paperback
Publication date: 26 February 2025
ISBN: 9780733651960
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