Let’s see how the CIA’s fortress headquarters in Langley, Virginia, is home to more than a few surprises. Such as a Starbucks where the baristas never ask for names and a spy museum you’ll never visit.
Backstory – The CIA’s ‘Secret’ Art Collection:-
At first glance, Taryn Simon’s photograph above appears harmless, if not mundane. It depicts two modern artworks hanging on bare white walls, separated by limp rope barriers, as harsh fluorescent ceiling lights bounce their reflection off the slick laminate floor.
However, when one reads the text, which indicates that the shot was taken at the US Central Intelligence Agency’s headquarters in Langley, Virginia, it becomes much more alluring and enigmatic. Simon’s shot is part of her 2007 series, An American Index to the Hidden and Unfamiliar, which presents perspectives that are mostly unknown to the general public.
The photograph intrigued Johanna Barron, a Portland-based artist when she first saw it in 2008. She was encouraged to learn more about the CIA’s abstract painting collection. However, she found little available material, except a single page on the CIA website with no photographs and some brief details in a book about the agency.
Although the lack of information was not unusual for a cash-strapped federally sponsored organization, Barron decided to investigate further by filing a series of FOIA requests. This would be the first stage in a sophisticated artistic undertaking that would keep Barron busy for years to come. Edge of Wonder TV has covered a detailed video on the CIA’s secret art collection.
Here is a small reference to the previous article:-
The previous post highlighted restored access during “Facebook’s shutdown.” Meta announced that the issue had been resolved following a two-hour downtime. The company expressed regret for any inconvenience resulting from technical issues.
Obtaining historical records:-
As any scholar who has gone through the time-consuming process of discovering and obtaining historical records can attest, asking busy librarians to find information on your behalf rarely yields results. Barron would respond similarly to her FOIA requests. Her requests for photographs of the gathering and acquisition records, such as information about tax advantages for donors and funding for purchases, were frequently denied because the documents relating to the paintings were not “government records” and thus were not subject to FOIA regulations.
Once again, a lack of publicly available information, which could have been explained away by a processing snafu or a lack of resources, took on a mysterious air, with the CIA acting evasively. Barron’s search for knowledge only intensified, as she stated:
“I felt this increasing need to try to uncover details that appeared to be kept secret for no logical reason.”
In 2014, Barron obtained over 100 pages of severely censored documentation, allowing her to put together more information about the collection.
Abstract paintings:-
The abstract paintings that had piqued Barron’s interest were among a tiny collection lent to the CIA by Vincent Melzac, a bigger-than-life art connoisseur and former director of the Corcoran Collection of Art in Washington, DC. Melzac began sharing paintings with the agency in 1968, including those by painters involved with the Washington Color School.
Two decades later, the CIA bought eleven of the pieces, but after Melzac died in 1989, his estate consented to continue loaning canvases. Barron used this newly discovered information to build 3/4 size copies of several of the 29 paintings, which she first showed in 2015 under the title Acres of Walls.
Carey Dunne, a journalist for Hyperallergic, contacted the agency’s Public Affairs division after being informed by DC-based creator Barbara Januszkiewicz that the government’s art collection may not be as hidden as it first appeared. She was startled to learn that plans were quickly made for her to visit Langley and that she was permitted to publicize her tour of the art collection, including photographs.
The abstract paintings from Melzac’s collection stood out among a diverse collection of art displayed across CIA headquarters, comprising realistic paintings commemorating the agency’s accomplishments and official portraits of previous CIA directors.
The mundane justifications offered for this collection comprised brightening up the building with art that complemented the architectural age (the Old Headquarters Building was finished in 1961) and connected to Langley’s position in the Washington metropolitan area. However, Dunne discovered an intriguing feature of the CIA’s collection of abstract art: it was also used for teaching purposes.
Hyperallergic speculated about art collection:-
Hyperallergic further speculated that the art collection may have been chosen by the CIA about the agency’s secret backing for Abstract Expressionism during the Cold War. The story Dunne relates to, which has been fueled by sensationalized pieces in the New Yorker and the Independent, among others, is yet another simplifying and mythologization of a more complicated but less famous tale linking art and espionage – and more evidence of the desire to maintain a narrative of CIA secrecy that prompted both Johanna Barron’s project and the subsequent press coverage.
However, if the CIA kept its art collection secret, it could have been for a good purpose. While investigating her article, Dunne contacted Robert Newmann, the agency’s last living abstract painter. Melzac did not inform the artists about the loan of their works to the CIA, according to Newmann, who found this fact in 2012, when Warner Brothers asked for permission to use the painting Arrows in Hollywood the Big Argo, which was filmed on-site at Langley.
Concluding Opinions:-
Taryn Simon’s photograph, taken at CIA headquarters, is part of a series that aims to reveal hidden and unfamiliar perspectives to the public.
The author, Barron, faced difficulties in obtaining historical records and information through FOIA requests, as the documents related to the paintings were not considered “government records” and were therefore exempt from FOIA regulations.
Barron’s interest in abstract paintings led her to create 3/4 size copies of pieces lent to the CIA by Vincent Melzac, showcasing them in an exhibition titled Acres of Walls in 2015.
The art collection chosen by the CIA during the Cold War may have been a part of their secret support for Abstract Expressionism, and the story surrounding it is a simplified and sensationalized version of a more complex narrative, highlighting the agency’s desire to maintain a narrative of secrecy.
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