Abstract Expressionism as Cultural Critique examines the artistic aims of the New York School of painters within the context of left-wing political discussions during the 1940s and 1950s. By drawing on new primary material from government archives and contemporary art critics, including Meyer Schapiro and Marta Traba, David Craven addresses Abstract Expressionism as a response to the politics of the cold war. Outlining the artistic intentions of New York School painters and the reception of their work in Latin America, Craven shows how Abstract Expressionism emerged as an implicit criticism of important mainstream ideas in the United States during the McCarthy era.