{"product_id":"9780733651960","title":"Blue Poles","description":"Author: Tom McIlroy\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 9780733651960\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Hachette Australia\u003cbr\u003eYear first published: 26 Feb 2025\u003cbr\u003ePages: 272\u003cbr\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe captivating story behind the iconic \u003ci\u003eBlue Poles\u003c\/i\u003e - the painter, the process, the patronage, the politics and the national scandal.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn 1973, \u003ci\u003eBlue Poles\u003c\/i\u003e, the iconic painting by America's great abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock, was acquired by the Australian government for A$1.4 million. This record-setting price for an artwork sparked a media sensation and controversy both in Australia and the United States.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eBlue Poles: Jackson Pollock, Gough Whitlam and the painting that changed a nation\u003c\/i\u003e details how Jackson Pollock rose to fame, the negotiations that led to the artwork's move to the National Gallery of Australia, and the many successes and turbulent turns in between.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis story covers Pollock's entree into an art circle which included renowned patron Peggy Guggenheim, as well as his relationship with artist Lee Krasner, and the larger-than-life accounts that surrounded his artistic practice - including questions around the creation of \u003ci\u003eBlue Poles\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIt was Gough Whitlam's commitment to the arts and cultural capital that would see the painting move to another continent, where the media feasted on stories of its cost and brows were raised over its merit. The value of \u003ci\u003eBlue Poles\u003c\/i\u003e to the Australian art and museum landscape was yet to be foreseen.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003eJournalist Tom McIlroy tells a compelling account of one of Australia's most prized paintings, which stirred up many storms from the time of its creation to its placement in the NGA.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'Superb . . . McIlroy is a gifted writer who finds clear lines of storytelling as he unpacks an intricate story . . . Australia has needed this book for a long time' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTHE AGE\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'A terrific book, a must-read for the year' \u003cb\u003eREADINGS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'An engaging read and a fine testament to a moment in time that is scandalous and triumphant in equal measure' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTHE AUSTRALIAN\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'Well-crafted and thoroughly absorbing' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eINSIDE STORY\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ships in 10 to 15 days","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46697709568158,"sku":"ADS-9780733651960","price":34.78,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0400\/9043\/5742\/files\/9780733651960.jpg?v=1775718962","url":"https:\/\/classicbargains.com.au\/products\/9780733651960","provider":"Classic Bargains Australia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}