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The American painting that sparked anAustralian culture war - podcast

When Jackson Pollock painted Blue Poles, his masterpiece of American abstract expressionism, little did he know it would become one of Australia’s most fascinating political controversies. The piece ensnared everyone from Gough Whitlam to the shah of Iran, only to end up in Canbe

This story summarizes reporting from The Guardian. Read the original for full context. Wire items stay in our news sitemap for seven days. Editorial policy.

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Presented by Rafqa Touma with Tom McIlroy; produced by Cheyne Anderson and Lu Hill, who also did sound design; the executive producer was Molly Glassey30 Aug 2026, 03:00 pmUpdated 1d ago1 min readAsiaAustralia
The American painting that sparked an Australian culture war - podcast

Australia — Presented by Rafqa Touma with Tom McIlroy; produced by Cheyne Anderson and Lu Hill, who also did sound design; the executive producer was Molly Glassey

When Jackson Pollock painted Blue Poles, his masterpiece of American abstract expressionism, little did he know it would become one of Australia’s most fascinating political controversies. The piece ensnared everyone from Gough Whitlam to the shah of Iran, only to end up in Canberra’s National Gallery as a symbol of our nation’s burgeoning modernity.

With the news that Blue Poles is relocating from Canberra to Perth, Guardian Australia’s political editor, Tom McIlroy , speaks to Rafqa Touma about the colliding worlds of art and politics featured in his book, Blue Poles: Jackson Pollock, Gough Whitlam and the painting that changed a nation

‘More bodyguards than Frank Sinatra’: When Blue Poles first toured, it was met with street protests. Now it’s crossing Australia

With the news that Blue Poles is relocating from Canberra to Perth, Guardian Australia’s political editor, Tom McIlroy , speaks to Rafqa Touma about the colliding worlds of art and politics featured in his book, Blue Poles: Jackson Pollock, Gough Whitlam and the painting that changed a nation

This report is published with credit to The Guardian. The wire sent a summary; open the original for any extra context. Read on The Guardian →

Source: The Guardian · Presented by Rafqa Touma with Tom McIlroy; produced by Cheyne Anderson and Lu Hill, who also did sound design; the executive producer was Molly Glassey. Published 30 Aug 2026, 03:00 pm.

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