Zainiev

Otabek Zainiev

IDC 1001H

Professor Hoffman

8 November 2016

The Post War City: Jackson Pollock (1912-1956)

Jackson Pollock, born on January 28, 1912, in Cody, Wyoming, was an American painter

who immensely contributed to the abstract expressionist movement in the art world. Pollock

studied his craft and produced his paintings in the years following World War II. The war and

post war urban life certainly and inadvertently impacted the style of Jackson Pollock. World War

II, and the awfully true implications it made about human nature, set the stage for a relatively

new artistic style to emerge: Abstract Expressionism. The latter sought to express the

irrationality, and its complexity, which modern life has seemingly cultivated.

Although born in Wyoming, Jackson Pollock was raised in Arizona and California.

Pollock’s father abandoned the family when he was eight years old. Moreover, Jackson Pollock

was the youngest of five children, and this, in addition to the aforementioned circumstance, led

him to desire attention. This is shown in the fact that while enrolled in the Manual Arts High

School in Los Angeles, although discovering his artistic passion, Pollock was thrown out of

school twice. At age 18, Jackson Pollock moved to New York City to further pursue his artistic

capabilities.

Upon venturing into New York City, Jackson Pollock lived with his older brother

Charles, who was a major influence in his work. Charles Pollock was also an artist, and he

helped his brother Jackson strive in his ambitions. Another one of Pollock’s early artistic

influences occurred in his youth while on surveying trips with his father, where he experienced

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the Native-American culture. Pollock began his artistic career under the mentorship of Thomas

Hart Benson, who was also Charles’ teacher. Jackson Pollock became very close with Thomas

Hart Benson, and eventually the two shared a bond that satisfied the recognition Pollock was

craving in his early life.

Jackson Pollock moved to New York City in the year 1930, the first year of the Great

Depression. Needless to say, his work was immensely impacted by the cultural and socio-

economic contexts of the Depression. Moreover, Pollock produced much of his renowned work

post World War II, which like the Great Depression, impacted his work significantly.

In 1937, Jackson Pollock joined the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a program

designed by President Franklin Roosevelt in his New Deal. Pollock joined the administration

under the Federal Art Program (FAP), with its agenda being particularly to promote works of art

that are patriotic and figurative in nature. During his time as a member of the Federal Art

Program, Pollock’s work followed the trend that the program demanded. Not to do so would

have resulted in Pollock’s admittance to the formidable unemployment of the Great Depression.

When Pollock left the FAP in 1943, his style took on an undoubtedly different approach. Jackson

Pollock began to experiment with the abstract, and sooner than later, he became a respected

pioneer in abstract expressionism.

Shortly after, Jackson Pollock painted his first wall-size work: Mural.

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Mural was a turning point in Pollock’s style and in American art. This work embeds the free

association and unconscious imagery of the Surrealism movement. Moreover, at this point in his

career Pollock began implementing a style of painting that was very different from any that was

used by contemporary painters at the time. This style, which is now regarded as Pollock

signature and specialty, is known as “action painting.” The latter is a process in which the canvas

is placed on a floor, and then bombarded with paint. Instead of using soft paint brushes, which

were highly preferred, Pollock would use stiff brushes that would only direct the paint and not

make contact with the canvas itself. Although the end results of Jackson Pollock’s paintings

appeared to be accidental, Pollock has affirmed that each painting had been planned carefully.

Pollock produced his most famous and renowned paintings in the years between 1947

and 1950, which became known as Jackson Pollock’s “Drip Period.” Jackson Pollock became so

popular that the press nicknamed him “Jack the Dripper.” During this period of time, Pollock

ceased the use of titles to identify his paintings. He was intending for his paintings to be as free

of his personal bias as possible. This allowed the viewers to genuinely construct their own

interpretations of the paintings.

Works Cited

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One popular general interpretation of Pollock’s “drip” series of paintings is that they are a

depiction of man’s entrapment and resulting anxiety due to the conscious mind.

The above painting is perhaps my favorite work of art by Jackson Pollock. It was painted

before the “drip” serious, so it does in fact have a name: The Flame. Pollock’s depiction of fire is

unique, yet very powerful. I think that Jackson Pollock is painting a state of turmoil. It appears

that there are hands coming out from the flames. Perhaps Pollock is representing the state of

American society during the Great Depression.

Jackson Pollock’s work corresponds with many of our course themes. In the course of

our studies, we have defined art and its purpose. Jackson Pollock, and his unique style is

testimony to that art does not need a form or a structure to be considered art. Pollock’s purpose

was to diverge from contemporary styles—his art was geared to capture the complexity and often

irrationality of human behavior and modern life. Another theme that we examined is

meaningfulness. Many artists attempt to capture and represent what they perceive to be

meaningful in life. The style and delivery of abstract expressionism leaves the interpretation of a

meaning—if there is one—entirely to the viewer.

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Jackson Pollock changed the art world when he introduced the contemporary use of

abstract expressionism to America. Unlike most artists, Pollock was recognized during his

lifetime. It is quite unfortunate such an incredible talent was taken from the world shortly after it

emerged, when Jackson Pollock was killed in a drunk driving accident. Ironically, the very

complexity and entrapment that Pollock depicted in his work, was a major driving force behind

his demise.

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Works Cited

"Biography of Jackson Pollock." Jackson Pollock' Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.

Http://www.howstuffworks.com/hsw-contact.htm. "How Jackson Pollock Worked." HowStuffWorks.

N.p., 23 Mar. 2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.

"Jackson Pollock." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.

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