Jackson Pollock

Lore & Background

Pollock was born in Cody, Wyoming, the youngest of five sons, and grew up in Arizona and California. He studied under Thomas Hart Benton at the Art Students League in New York City and was influenced by Mexican muralists, particularly José Clemente Orozco. In 1936, he was introduced to the use of liquid paint at an experimental workshop by David Alfaro Siqueiros. Pollock struggled with alcoholism for most of his life and underwent Jungian psychotherapy from 1938 to 1942.

In 1945, he married artist Lee Krasner, who became an important influence on his career. They moved to Springs, New York, where Pollock converted a barn into a studio and perfected his 'drip' technique. His most famous paintings were made during the 'drip period' between 1947 and 1950. At the peak of his fame, he abruptly abandoned the drip style. Pollock died in August 1956 in an alcohol-related single-car collision while driving.

Reader's Guide

Pollock's significance lies in his radical approach to painting, which became a defining expression of abstract expressionism. His 'drip technique'—pouring and splashing liquid household paint onto a horizontal canvas—allowed him to work from all angles, creating what was called all-over painting and action painting. This method divided critics: some saw immediacy and vitality, others random effects. Pollock's work was honored with memorial and retrospective exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 1956 and 1967, and at the Tate Gallery in London in 1998 and 1999. His legacy continues to influence discussions of abstraction, process, and the role of the artist's body in creation. The article notes that Pollock's drip paintings were influenced by artist Janet Sobel, and that he made contradictory statements about the origins of his technique, referencing both Navajo sand painting and Oriental methods.

Did You Know?

• Pollock was born in Cody, Wyoming, but left at 10 months old and never returned.
• He was expelled from two high schools, including Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles.
• Pollock's paternal grandfather was born with the surname McCoy but took the surname of his adoptive parents, the Pollock family.
• Four months after his death, Pollock was given a memorial retrospective exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Paul Jackson Pollock (January 28, 1912 – August 11, 1956) was an American painter active in the Abstract Expressionist movement." — Jackson Pollock "I believe easel painting to be a dying form, and the tendency of modern feeling is toward the wall picture or mural.." — Jackson Pollock "Pollock wrote this text on the back of a photo of himself taken in his own studio." — Jackson Pollock "I can control the flow of paint; there is no accident.." — Jackson Pollock