Jackson Pollock
Outline
THESIS: "The painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through".
I.
Action painting.
A. Description of the form.
B. Rosenberg's article.
C. Ideas of inventing drip technique.
II.
J. Pollock: biography.
A. Early years
B. Influences and mentors
C. Mature life and death.
III.
Unique techniques.
A. The source of his ideas.
B. Drip technique.
C. Shapes in Pollock's works.
IV.
The unique artist.
A. Influence of Native Americans.
B. Polarizing works.
Jackson Pollock
Action painting is one of the types of abstract expressionism. It "uses a visual
language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a
degree of independence from visual references in the world" (Arnheim 7). It is a type
of dynamic, impulsive painting where the artist make his painting with vigorous,
gestural movements, sometimes by splashing or dribbling, and without any ready
image in his mind of how the future painting will look like. Sometimes it can be used
as a synonym to Abstract Painting, but it is not right as Action Painting is only one
aspect of this movement.
In December 1952 the term Action Painting was used for the first time. It was
coined by Harold Rosenberg, a famous critic, in his article The American Action
Painters in Art News magazine. In this article Action Painting was introduced as a
painting technique, which allows artist to express his instinctive creative powers.
Rosenberg wrote that the act of painting is much more important than ready work.
The term Action Painting soon became common, despite many critics were against
Rosenberg’s idea of importance of the event, not the ready painting. For example,
Mary McCarthy said that "you cannot hang an event on a wall, only a picture"
(McCarthy 30).
Rosenberg's article didn't mention names of separate painters as well as it
was not followed by illustrations. However, the artist who is above all connected with
Action Painting is Jackson Pollock who described his feelings while performing the
act of painting on canvas laid on the floor: "I feel nearer, more a part of the painting,
since this way I can walk around it, work from the four sides and literally be in the
painting…When I am in my painting, I am not aware of what I'm doing. It is only after
a sort of “get acquainted” period that I see what I have been about. I have no fears
Jackson Pollock
about making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of
its own. I try to let it come through" (Pollock media).
A lot of ideas of how Pollock invented his dripping techniques were argued,
even including such fishy tale as he figured it after kicking over a can of paint. The
most popular theory is that Pollock was under the impact of Navaho’s sand paintings
– Indians during some rituals scatter tinted sand on the ground making niggled
patterns. But it doesn’t really mean a lot where he found the clues; Pollock used this
technique to create his masterpieces which are usually regarded, as the greatest
abstract paintings ever.
"Pollock was the first American artist of this genre who was taken seriously in
Europe. He also was the first "all-over"' painter, pouring paint rather than
using brushes and a palette, and abandoning all conventions of a central
motif. He danced in semi-ecstasy over canvases spread across the floor, lost
in his patterning, dripping and dribbling with total control. He said: "The
painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through". He painted no image,
just "action'', though "action painting' seems an inadequate term for the
finished result of his creative process. Lavender Mist is 3 m long (nearly 10 ft),
a vast expanse on a heroic scale. It is alive with colored scribble, spattered
lines moving this way and that, now thickening, now trailing off to a slender
skein. The eye is kept continually eager, not allowed to rest on any particular
area. Pollock has put his hands into paint and placed them at the top right -an instinctive gesture eerily reminiscent of cave painters who did the same.
The overall tone is pale lavender, and active. At the time Pollock was hailed
as the greatest American painter, but there are already those who feel his
work is not holding up in every respect" (Pioch 170).
Jackson Pollock
He was born on January 28, 1916 in a small town Cody, WY. In future, friendly critics
tried to create a beautiful myth because of the place of his birth. As this town got its
name after well-known American character of times of conquest of the Wild West,
they represented the artist as the same dashing cowboy - freedom-loving, rebellious,
not accepting general rules. But he never had even a shadow of a cowboy – soon
after his birth, Pollock's family moved to San Diego. So he spent his youth in
California. Artist's father, Leroy Pollock, could not find permanent job, that's why he
travelled along America with his. He tried many jobs, but he wasn't successful
anyway. Eventually, he practically left his family, occasionally sending small sums of
money.
Pollock had 4 elder brothers and sisters. Actually, he was brought up by his
mother, Stella Pollock, who's neurotic and imperious character influenced not only
Jackson's mind and artistic style, but also his life. The boy grew gloomy and closed;
herewith he suffered from gushes of anger under which he could make unexpected
deed, that's why he was twice expelled from school. Also, Jackson was under great
influence of mysticism, which interested him since early ages. Especially, he was
interested in philosophy of Jidda Krishna-murti, who stated that the truth opens to a
person only intuitively while "outpouring" the personality. Jackson took these words
too deeply and that was certainly to define his outlook.
Young Pollock considered that the easiest way to "outpour" is art. At the same
time he did not cherish illusions concerning his talent, instead, he critically
approached his possibilities. But nevertheless he decided to become an artist – it
seemed to him, that a powerful strong-willed effort was enough to make him
whatever he wanted.
Jackson Pollock
When Pollock was 15, his elder brother Sanford and he spent summer with a
group of land surveyors in the Grand Canyon. There, he drank alcohol for the first
time. (Emmerling 10). His later alcoholism can be explained by physical intolerance
that greatly influenced on psychological problems caused by lacking father and
neurotic mother. Later in his life, Jackson spent several times in psychiatric clinics,
though it didn't help. Alcohol also caused his death. He died on August 11, 1956 in a
car-accident.
But nevertheless, Pollock was still interested in art. Magazine's reproductions
of Matisse, Franz Marc, and Picasso greatly influenced him and made his interest
stronger. When he was a student of Manual Arts High School, LA, Pollock was also
encouraged by his art teacher. Soon after, Pollock's oldest brother, Charles, left for
New York where he studied with Benton in the Art Students League. He wanted
Jackson to join him. "So Pollock went to New York City in 1930 to study art with
Thomas Hart Benton, a major figure in the American art movement called
Regionalism" (UIMA Web). He became Pollock's first mentor. Jackson was his
student for 3 years. No wonder, that Jackson's painting of the early and middle 30th
were under strong influence of his teacher. "Pollock's sketchbook, containing more
than 500 drawings, shows his continued efforts to organize compositions rooted in
twisting countershifts, as Benton had counseled" (NGA Web).
While being Benton’s student, Pollock got acquainted with David Siqueiros
and well-known Mexican muralist José Orozco. Their unique art made a lasting
impact on Pollock.
As many young artists of this time, Pollock was looking for a job during the
time of the Great Depression. This job was given to him by WPA Federal Art Project,
where he worked since 1935 to 1942. But his real first breakthrough was in 1943 due
Jackson Pollock
to his first wall-size work "Mural". At that time he already experimented with various
methods, media, ways of painting and surfaces. In 1947 he has brought up the new
technique of drawing – step by step "pouring", or dripping, enamel or aluminum paint
on a flat canvas. “As the result, he got huge canvases covered with intricate
patterns” (Evans Web).
In the beginning of 1930th Jackson one of those young artists invited to take
part in a group exhibition. At that exhibition he met his future wife - Lee Krasner.
Peggy Guggenheim, the rich New York successor, was attracted by his works. She
became Pollock's sponsor patron. She introduced his works to public. In 1943, she
organized his solo exhibition and signed the contract which guaranteed him150
dollars per month.
In 1945 Peggy loaned a small house in Springs, East Hampton, Long Island
for Pollock. His wife and he lived there till they died. Nowadays their house became
a museum and the Study Center.
Here he started to create his individual for it large-scale artworks. People
worshipped and hated his paintings. However, his solo exhibitions were extremely
popular. By that time he was widely known in New York, and in August 1949 his
talent began to shine all over the world as in Life magazine an article about him was
published.
In 1956 style of his work changed. Pollock almost gave up colors; instead he
created a lot of black paintings on unprimed canvases.
As alcoholism ad struggle with it changed Pollock, his art also transformed.
Nevertheless, he returned to a multi-colored palette. However, in last year of his life
he completely gave up art.
Jackson Pollock
At that time, his family with Krasner was no more happy. Pollock "had taken a
mistress and Krasner took the opportunity to go to Europe to re-evaluate their
relationship. Unfortunately, Krasner received a call informing her of her husband’s
sudden tragic death" (J-P.com Web).
Pollock is famous for his invention - pouring technique, and his huge works
painted on the floor, using thick brushes with big amount of paint, sticks and turkeyfeathers to disperse the paint. His work Number 2 clearly demonstrates this fact. On
commercially dyed dark red canvas patterned with paint drops and poured lines. Due
to big concentration of black and white paints, oil bled into a porous canvas, imitating
shades. Pollock used this effect, carefully placing within darker areas drops of Indian
red color, the color which is similar to fabric, creating repoussoir effect which inhales
a life and naturalness to the drops, which in other case would seem a dully error.
Pollock did not drip paint randomly, he carefully thought about the place of each drop
of this or that color, trying to control the plan of a picture, despite the idea of Abstract
painting. Curved elements can be noticed for the first time in Number 2 work,
because it was drawn not on canvas, though on fabric. "Elements that soaked
through appear there as if white were under black but appear on the front with the
white on top, showing that Pollock filled in parts of the white lines so the overall
aesthetic balance of lights and darks would, as he liked to say, ‘work’" (Learn
Columbia Web).
It seems that vertical black lines are drawn from left to right. Prevailing of
white color impacts a small tension. This fact is solved by locating white lines, mainly
at the other edge of canvas or fabrics. When Pollock was drawing on the floor, just
like as the Indian painters, he worked together at both sides of canvas or fabrics. If
one will turn the picture upside down, it will be obvious that white lines are located
Jackson Pollock
also as free and logical, as black lines. One of the main features of Pollock's largescale works, is that the main art elements are located from left to right. The left edge
of the painting, despite of which edge he chose to paint first, always begins "with an
elegant pirouette of paint, which then dances across the length of the canvas, until it
reaches the terminal right edge, where a suddenly stymied form signifies the artist’s
frustration that subjective infinity is limited by the objective length of his ground". It is
quite typical for his unrestrained mind.
Shape of his works, which was far from being usual (five times wider then
their height), served his tendency to "write out" his paintings. Also, during these
years he was deeply interested in mural paintings. A number vertical black lines
oblong the picture has something in common with the Benton's theory of mural
painting. He taught students to create a wall of vertical lines around which small
amount of smooth and curved forms can be located. Pollock often used this
technique in his work, especially it is noticeable in Blue Poles, and also in Number 2,
where white color opposes black border. This shape of wall with vertical lines can
penetrate even deeper into his memory. The family photo of a drawing room in Cody
made in 1912 on which an oblong number of oleo lithographs of flowers on the wall,
the image, shape which is carefully represented in his pouring works. It seems that
all details of style and the invoice of Pollock's works, both his main works, and
sketches, are taken from his life experience and education.
In a lot of ways, Pollock's works were a closed system which again and again
absorbed itself until disseminate its energy. All his paintings, unique and individual,
were added to modern legends of art, because of heroism of character which
surpasses tragedy and traditions.
Jackson Pollock
Between 1947 and 1950 Pollock painted his most celebrated works. This
period in his life was called “dripping period”. However, experiencing the peak of his
popularity he unexpectedly gave the drip technique up. After 1951 in his works dark
paints prevailed, in particular, black paint. Gradually Pollock began to introduce
figurative elements to his works. He was becoming more and more commercial, what
reflected him as deepened problems with alcohol.
Despite struggle with alcoholism throughout all his life, Pollock's career was
suddenly interrupted by a New York accident, where he smashed his car in the tree
at the age of 44 years. After his death, Pollock's wife Lee Krasner disposed of his
works and stated that Pollock's influence was nevertheless strong, despite changing
tendencies of the world of art
The influence of art of Native Americans is obvious and very strong in
Pollock's works. He, as well as American Indian artists, used similar techniques. For
example, he painted only those pictures which arose in its consciousness when it
was absolutely empty, without any thoughts or any imposed image, he painted
shapes of "the Spirit world", and thus his works are full with primitive aesthetics. This
"visual language" connects Pollock's paintings with primitivism art of Native
Americans.
Primitivism was rather popular art style among modernists, and Pollock picked
the closest to his spirit and culture form of it to explore visually. Finally, Pollock's art
is deeply connected with art of Native Americans.
Pollock's works always provoked hottest contradictions among art-critics. He
was often in the centre of various debate and disputes.
As it was already mentioned above, Harold Rosenberg responded about
Pollock's painting technique as something that had totally changed painting, he said
Jackson Pollock
that was a turning-point in art when painting is to paint only, without pursuing other
aim. Gesture on a canvas was gesture of clearing from clichéd ideals imposed by a
politics and morals. Pollock lived the life free of such imposed clichés. However, his
paintings and unique techniques are still very popular and attract new supporters
and followers.
Jackson Pollock
Works Cited
Arnheim, Rudolf. Visual Thinking. Berkeley: University of California Press. 1969.
Print.
Emmerling, Leonhard. Jackson Pollock: 1912-1956. Germany: Taschen. 2003. Print.
Evans, Charles. T. "Jackson Pollock". novaonline.ncc.edu. Nova Online, n. d. Web.
29 Apr 2010.
"Jackson Pollock". huntfor.com. Museum Gallery of Oil Painting, n. d. Web. 29 Apr
2010.
"Jackson Pollock: Biography". J-P.Com. Jason-Pollock.com, n. d. Web. 29 Apr 2010.
"Jackson Pollock: Preface". learn.columbia.edu. Columbia University, Department of
Art, History and Archaeology, n. d. Web. 29 Apr. 2010.
"Jackson Pollock: The Artist". nga.gov. National Gallery of Art, n. d. Web. 29 Apr
2010.
McCathy, Mary. A Bolt From the Blue And Other Essays. NY: New York Review of
Books. 2002. Print.
"More About Jackson Pollock". uima.uiowa.edu. University of Iowa of Museum Art, n.
d.. Web. 29 Apr 2010.
Pioch, Nicolas. "Action Painting". ibiblio.org. Ibiblio, 16 Jul 2002. Web. 29 Apr 2010.