JacksonPollock:“ActionJackson”

JacksonPollockwasborninCody,Wyoming,USAin1912,theyoungestoffivebrothers.Thefamilydidn’thavemuchmoneyandhadtomovefromonefarmorranchtoanotheraroundthe

AmericanWest.Eventhoughtherewasplentyofworkforeveryone,Jackson’smotherencouragedherchildrentodoart.

ThePollockfamilyenjoyingwatermelon.ThebluearrowpointstoJackson!

WhenJacksonPollockwaseightyearsold,helivedinanareaofCalifornianearNativeAmericancommunities.Heheardstories,sawdancesandwatchedartistscreatesandpaintings.Heincludedsomeofthesesymbolsandideasinhislaterpaintings.

Pollockandhisbrotherssometimeswentwithhimontrips.HereisaphotoofPollockwithhisfatheratage14or15attheGrandCanyoninArizonain1927.

WhenJacksongotalittleolder,hisfathertravelledforhisjobasalandsurveyorforthegovernment.

PollockstudiedartinhighschoolinLosAngeles,California,buthadtroublegettingalongwiththeteachersandstudents.Atage18,JacksonmovedacrossthecountrytoNewYorkCity.HejoinedhisolderbrotherCharlesstudyingatanartschoolthere.

Pollock’sartteacherinNewYork,ThomasHartBenton,inspiredsomeofPollock’searlypaintings.Bentonlikedpaintingwesternthemes.OntheleftisapaintingbyPollock’steacher.OntherightisapaintingbyJacksonPollock.Howarethesetwopaintingssimilar?Howaretheydifferent?

ArtsoftheWest,Benton,1932

GoingWest,Pollock,1934-1935

AtthistimetheGreatDepressionwashappening.Formanyyears,banksandcompanieswereshuttingdownandmany,manypeoplecouldn’tfindjobsorfoodfortheirfamilies.Likemanyartistsatthistime,Pollockhadahardtimemakingenoughmoneytoliveandmakeart.Heworkedforhisteacher,cleaningtheartstudioandhelpingwithBenton’spaintings. Self-Portrait,1930

Pollockfeltfrustratedwhenhispaintingsdidn’tturnoutthewayhe’dseentheminhismind.Sometimeshewasangryandhardtobearound,buthisteachersandfellowartistskeptworkingwithhimbecausetheyrespectedhistalent.Pollock’steacherBentononcesaidofhim,“Pollockwasabornartist.”ButPollockwasn’tsurewhatkindofanartisthewantedtobe.Head,1938-1941

HowdoyoufeelwhenyoulookatthispaintingbyPollock?

Representationalvs.AbstractAtthistime,manyartistswerere-creatingtheoldrulesofart.Inthepastartalwaysdepictedaperson,place,orthing.Wecallthis“representationalart.”Nowsomeartistsbegantousethebasicelementsofart—suchasline,shape,texture,andcolor—toexpressafeeling,thought,orenergy,withoutillustratingaperson,place,orthing.

Thisbecameknownas“abstractart.”

TheFlame1938

Pollockvisitedmuseums,galleries,andotherstudiostostudytheworkofotherartists—hewasinfluencedbyPabloPicasso,JanetSobel,JoséOrozco,andDavidSiqueiros.

Mural,1943

LeeKrasnerwasanotheryoungartistinNewYorkCityatthetime.ShealsorespectedPabloPicasso,andduringWorldWarIIherpaintingswereinthesameartshowaspaintingsbyJacksonPollock.

PhotoofLeeKrasnerworkingataneasel

Untitled,LeeKrasner1925

WhenshesawPollock’spaintings,Krasnerimmediatelywantedtomeethim,andsoondid.Shesaidlater,“IhadaconvictionwhenImetJacksonthathehadsomethingimportanttosay.”PollockandKrasnerfellinloveandaffectedeachother’sartworkinimportantways.

MoonWoman,1942

In1945,WorldWarIIended.PollockandKrasnergotmarriedandmovedfromNewYorkCitytoafarmhouseonnearbyLongIsland.Bythistime,Pollockhadbeenhavingproblemswithalcoholanddepressionoffandonforyears.Theyhopedthefarmwouldbeapeacefulplacetoliveandworkontheirart.

ShimmeringSubstance,1945

Nexttotheirfarmhousewasabarn.Nowatthetimemostpainterspaintedonacanvasthatwasstretchedontoawoodenframeandsetuponaneasel,justasmanydotoday.(Krasnerwasusinganeaselinthephotoyousawofher.)Pollocklikedtopaintinthebarn,butby1947hehadstartedpaintingwiththeunframedcanvasrightdownonthefloor.(YoucanseethispaintingattheSeattleArtMuseum.)

SeaChange,1947

Thiswayhecouldwalkaroundallsidesofthecanvas,movingenergetically,drippingorflingingorpouringpaint,oftenordinaryhousepaint,downontothecanvasinsteadoftouchingapaintbrushtothecanvas.

Hesaid,“Ifeelnearer,moreapartofthepaintingsincethiswayIcanwalkaroundit,workfromthefoursides,andliterallybeinthepainting,similartotheIndiansandpaintersoftheWest.”

FullFathomFive,1947

Pollockcalledthisstyleofpainting“actionpainting.”Otherscalledit“drippainting.”Itisthisstylethathe’sfamousfor.Heexplainedhisactionpaintingonceas“…energyandmotionmadevisible—memoriesarrestedinspace.”

Eventhoughotherartistshaduseddrippingorpouring,Pollockhaddevelopedsomethingnew.Somepeoplewhosawhispaintingslikedit;somedidn’t.Somethoughthisactionpaintswerejustrandomsplattersofpaintwithoutskillorintention.ButPollocksaid,“Icancontroltheflowofpaint;thereisnoaccident.”

Number1,1948

Whethertheyappreciatedhispaintingsornot,peopleweretalkingandwritingaboutPollock.In1948,anarticleaboutPollockappearedinLIFEmagazine,whichwasreadbymanyAmericans.Pollockandhisdrippaintingsbecameveryfamous.

Beingfamousmeantmorepeoplewantedtobuyhispaintings.Hecouldsellthemformoremoney,butPollockfeltpressureandstressfromalltheattentionandpeoplewantingnewpaintings.Hegrewdepressedandangry.From1951on,hepaintedlessandless.

Convergence,1952

In1956,Pollockdiedinacaraccident.Hewas44yearsold.LeeKrasnercontinuedtopromotePollock’sartuntilherdeathin1984.ManypeoplewhotalkandwriteaboutartcallJacksonPollockoneofthegreatartistsofthetwentiethCentury.

TheDeep,1953

Nowwe’llreadastoryaboutthecreationofoneofPollock’spaintings…andthenwe’llpaint!