The American painting that sparked an Australian culture war - podcast
Guardian AU
β’Sun, 30 Aug 2026 15:00:02 GMT
π° What Happened
Guardian Australia's Full Story podcast looks at the political controversy around Jackson Pollock's Blue Poles, which is relocating from Canberra's National Gallery to Perth. Political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to Rafqa Touma about his book 'Blue Poles: Jackson Pollock, Gough Whitlam and the painting that changed a nation', tracing the colliding worlds of art and politics.
π The Backstory
Blue Poles, a masterpiece of American abstract expressionism, became one of Australia's most fascinating political controversies after it ensnared figures from Gough Whitlam to the Shah of Iran. When the painting first toured, it was met with street protests and travelled with 'more bodyguards than Frank Sinatra', before ending up in Canberra's National Gallery as a symbol of the nation's burgeoning modernity.
π― Why It Matters
The relocation of one of Australia's most famous artworks reopens questions about how national treasures are shared across the country. The podcast gives listeners the full story of why a single painting stirred such a bitter culture war.
Guardian Australia's Full Story podcast looks at the political controversy around Jackson Pollock's Blue Poles, which is relocating from Canberra's National Gallery to Perth. Political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to Rafqa Touma about his book 'Blue Poles: Jackson Pollock, Gough Whitlam and the painting that changed a nation', tracing the colliding worlds of art and politics.
Blue Poles, a masterpiece of American abstract expressionism, became one of Australia's most fascinating political controversies after it ensnared figures from Gough Whitlam to the Shah of Iran. When the painting first toured, it was met with street protests and travelled with 'more bodyguards than Frank Sinatra', before ending up in Canberra's National Gallery as a symbol of the nation's burgeoning modernity.
The relocation of one of Australia's most famous artworks reopens questions about how national treasures are shared across the country. The podcast gives listeners the full story of why a single painting stirred such a bitter culture war.