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Jackson Pollock
(1912-1956)
Jackson Pollock is perhaps one of the most famous American painters to have ever lived, best known for his “splashed” Abstract Expressionist canvases. His synthetic style of painting was a major influence on American Abstract Expressionist art. While his work may be hard for some to understand, and may seem ridiculously simple, his art and technique was surprisingly original and opened minds.
Convergence 1952
Also dubbed “drip” painting (though Pollock preferred the term “pour”), Pollock’s style has been attributed as one of the origins of Action Painting. He created these unique compositions by placing his canvas on the floor and standing over them. He used brushes, though they never touched the canvas and were merely vehicles for his dripping, splashing paint. Pollock would also use sticks and knives to drip his paint onto the canvas and also incorporated broken glass and sand, thus gaining himself the name “Jack the Dripper.” This style was considered so breakthrough because it encouraged artists to depart from using the easel brought his canvas to the floor. It was considered “action” painting because Pollock didn’t just use his hands to create his compositions, but his whole body.
The Artist Painting
Born in Cody, Wyoming, Pollock began to study art at a young age. As a boy, he lived in Arizona and California where he attended the Los Angeles Manual Arts High School. Pollock followed his brother Charles, also an artist, to New York after high school study painting at The Art Students League in 1929. There, both Pollock and his brother studied under Thomas Hart Benton. During this time, Pollock’s work was full of American subjects and representational themes. Benton proved to be a major influence on Pollock in his early work. Other early influences for Pollock were Mexican muralist painters like Rivera, Orozco and Sisqueiros. Pollock would later go on to work briefly in Sisqueiros’ experimental workshop in 1936.
Untited 1939
In the early 1930’s, Pollock traveled all over the United States, eventually settling in New York. Pollock became influenced by the Surrealists and Picasso, which also led him to create symbolic paintings. At the same time, Pollock was working with therapists and trying to understand and heal his problems with depression. Pollock also fought a lifelong battle with alcoholism, which would eventually lead to his end. He was very interested in the theories of Carl Jung and used his archetypes (The Shadow, Anima, etc.) and used these often in his art from 1938-1944. These paintings were fairly violent and did not receive good reviews at first.
Moon Woman 1942
She Wolf
The Tea Cup
In 1943, Pollock had his first one-man show at the Peggy Guggenheim Art of the Century Gallery in New York and married his long time girlfriend the following year. In 1945, Pollock and his wife moved to a home in Long Island with a barn. This barn became the studio where he created his famous drip paintings.
Full Fathom Five
Legend has it that Pollock discovered this kind of painting by chance, by accidentally dripping paint on his canvas, but Pollock denied that. He attributed his style more to the techniques of the Mexican muralists as well as an Indian sand painting display he saw at the Museum of Modern Art. The idea behind this action painting was a mixture of control and spontaneity. He began creating these drip paintings in 1948 and they were a smash and sold out almost immediately. The following year, Life magazine dubbed Pollock as the greatest living American artist.
Untitled
Number 8
By the 1950’s, Pollock’s paintings became darker, and were mostly painted with black paint. His work became increasingly popular, and the demand for new work drove Pollock further into the depths of his depression and alcoholism. In 1956, Pollock died in a car crash while under the influence of alcohol, killing his girlfriend and another woman. After his death, all of the paintings in his gallery were sold, including some paintings that he had not intended to be released.
Untitled Black
1948
Due to the nature of his most famous paintings, one would argue that it would be easy to forge a drip painting and pass it as a genuine Pollock. However, a skilled art historian or authenticator would be able to tell the difference. While Pollock was a fairly prolific artist, it is likely that most of his drip paintings are already owned in public or private collections, but you never know. His earliest work is lesser known, and it is very probable that some of these pieces are owned, unknown and otherwise unauthenticated somewhere. Still wondering about an Abstract Expressionist piece hanging in your home? Contact us…it could be by Jackson Pollock.
