Jackson Pollock

Pollock is widely considered the most challenging and influential artist of the twentieth century. In his revolutionary paintings of the late 1940s he dripped or poured paint into complex webs of interlacing lines, rhythmically punctuated by pools of color. With their allover composition, seemingly total abstraction, and gestural but remarkably controlled handling of paint, these powerful works announced the emergence of Abstract Expressionism. (Vernadoe for MOMA)

1912-1956 American artist, one of the 20th Century painters

One of his more famous paintings is Autumn Rhythm.

In 1930 Jackson returns to New York City with his brother, intent on making a career in Art. In 1931-32, he enrolled at the Art Students League of New York where he took classes from Thomas Hart Benton, who was to become his mentor. Here he learned to paint realistically, then turning toward Expressionism.

He worked at various jobs including janitor and for the Works Projects Administration cleaning monuments. He develops a fairly significant habit of drinking. He is protected and supported by his brother

In 1936 he first meets Lee Krasner.

Pollock became the 'enfant terrible' of the New York Art Scene in 1943 when he was championed by Clement Greenberg and Peggy Guggenheim. Peggy gave Jackson a contract which provided him with a $150 per month stipend to pay his bills. She agreed to sell his paintings through her Art of This Century Gallery. She alone sold Jackson's paintings. During this same time Peggy also represented Robert Motherwell, Mark Rothko, Ad Reinhart, Baziotes, Hans Hofmann and etc.

During this time he was rivals with Willem De Kooning.

In 1949, he appeared on the cover of LIFE Magazine with the headline: "JACKSON POLLOCK- Is He The Greatest Living Painter in the United States?"

In a very real sense, he also owes a great deal of his success to his wife Lee Krasner who was the primary stabalizing force in his life and stood with him through thick and thin. She also acted as his liaison with the world at large. He introduced the concept of Action Painting in which the brush never touched the canvas. Instead the canvas was on the floor and the paint was splashed, dribbled and dripped onto it. This ushered in the next great wave of art in New York called Abstract Expressionism.

People who were associated with Pollock include:

• Lee Krasner
• Willem De Kooning
• Robert Motherwell
• Clement Greenberg
• Mark Rothko
• Franz Kline

His work is in the permanent collections of many museums, including:

• The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York
• Art Institute of Chicago
• Philadelphia Museum of Art
• Centre Pompidou in Paris
• Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
• Guggenheim Museum, New York
• Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, Massachusetts
• National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
• Whitney Museum of American Art, New York

For an excellent portrait of Jackson, you MUST SEE the movie "Pollock" by Ed Harris. This is a no holds barred story of an enormously neurotic genius.

Selected Sources: Harris, Ed, "POLLOCK" (Film), 2000 Potter, Jeffrey, "To A Violent Grave: An Oral Biography of Jackson Pollock", Pushcart Press, NY 1985 Rubin, William S., "Dada, Surrealism, and Their Heritage", Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1968 Tompkins, Calvin, "Off The Wall, Robert Rauschenberg and the Art World of Our Time", Penguin, New York, 1980 Last Updated 04.10.04