Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Historic Art and Design

First Advisor

Matthew Nichols

Second Advisor

Maria Sancho-Arroyo

Abstract

Abstract Expressionism emerged in post-WWII New York as both an artistic revolution and a tool of cultural diplomacy. This thesis examines how that ostensibly “American” art movement was adapted and transformed in the Middle East from the 1950s through the  1980s. Chapter 1 outlines the rise of Abstract Expressionism amid Cold War politics, highlighting how the style was promoted globally as a symbol of freedom. It discusses the role of U.S. institutions in exporting avant-garde art – famously described by Eva Cockcroft as a “weapon of the Cold War” – through touring exhibitions and covert sponsorship. Chapter 2 then traces the reception of abstraction in Middle Eastern art circles, showing how local artists reframed modernism in light of their own heritage and decolonization. Far from mere imitators, painters and sculptors in Beirut, Baghdad, Khartoum, and Tehran forged discrepant abstractions that blended Islamic aesthetics, calligraphy, and political consciousness . Chapter 3 presents case studies of four influential artists – Etel Adnan, Dia al-Azzawi, Saloua Raouda Choucair, and Parviz Tanavoli – each of whom “translated” Abstract Expressionist idioms into a distinct visual language grounded in their cultural context. Finally, Chapter 4 proposes a business plan for “Third Space Gallery,” a hypothetical gallery in the Middle East dedicated to abstract art. This plan outlines a curatorial vision that bridges Eastern and Western art discourses, a market strategy targeting regional collectors, and spatial considerations for exhibiting large-scale abstraction. Through historical analysis and practical proposal, the thesis argues that abstraction in the Middle East became a dynamic third space – a hybrid realm of creativity where modernism was indigenized rather than imposed. In doing so, it reaffirms that the global story of Abstract Expressionism is not one of one-way influence, but of continual adaptation and dialogue across cultures.

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