Jackson Pollock

Even if you are unfamiliar with Jackson Pollock's Abstract Expressionist paintings, chances are you will recognize his artistic process. Picture a man standing over a canvas, splattering, flinging and even pouring paint onto the increasingly lined, mottled, and colorful surface. Such practices earned Pollock the nickname Jack the Dripper -- as well as fascinated respect from some critics, and scorn from others.

Born in 1912, Paul Jackson Pollock spent his early years in Wyoming, Arizona, and California. Pollock would later credit the panoramic landscapes of his childhood as one of his artistic influences. In 1930 while studying at the Art Students League in New York, Pollock dropped his first name, going instead by his middle name, Jackson. During this time Pollock studied murals, most likely sparking an interest in the large-scale art that would be prevalent in his later work. Pollock was also influenced by surrealism and cubism, producing such work as Going West (1934-5). This somber painting makes use of Pollock's childhood countryside, but in a darkly dreamlike way, with fluid brushstrokes reminiscent of Van Gogh.

From 1937 to 1943 Pollock was employed by the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project. This steady paycheck gave Pollock a degree of financial freedom with which to explore his artistic vision. At a conference Pollock met fellow WPA artist Lee Krasner, who would later become his wife; however, due to his constant struggle with alcoholism, Pollock was not entirely free of trouble. In the late 1930s Pollock was treated with Jungian psychoanalysis, and encouraged to use his art as a means of therapy. At once vibrant with motion and subdued with a dark color palette, Pollock's painting Guardians of the Secret (1943) can be seen as a series of subconscious images emerging onto the canvas. 

By 1945 Pollock married Lee Krasner. Their home in Springs, New Jersey, is now the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center. With the nearby barn converted into a studio, Pollock produced some of his most infamous pieces. Not content to simply paint with a brush and easel, Pollock would lay a huge canvas out on the ground and pour, drip, spatter, and fling his paint. He used sticks, broken glass, sand, trowels -- anything to create a new kind of relationship between paint and canvas. He wanted to approach his paintings from all angles, and all sides, and include the idea of randomness into his work. This technique became known as "action painting" and resulted in intricately layered, abstract paintings such as No 5 (1948). Some critics claimed that Pollock's use of randomness was not talent, and his paintings were not art; others, however, applauded Pollock's use of movement and complex detail. As an example of how Pollock's work has stood the test of time, just a few years ago No 5 was sold in a private auction for $140 million. 

Though Pollock was wildly popular in his lifetime, he proved unable to overcome his battle with alcoholism. Pollock and his wife were living apart in 1956, reevaluating their relationship. In August of that year Pollock crashed his car while driving under the influence. He and one of his passengers were killed, while his mistress, who was also in the car, survived. Krasner continued to manage their estate after his death, ensuring that his name and reputation would live on through the establishment of different foundations. Pollock and Krasner are buried together in a cemetery near their home.

For more information on Jackson Pollock's life and art, please visit the additional resources listed below:

• Ibiblio, Web Museum: See more examples of Pollock's diverse painting styles.
• Pollock-Krasner Foundation: Learn about Lee Krasner's legacy for herself and her husband in the form of artistic grants for up-and-coming visual artists.
• Pollock Krasner House & Study Center: Take a look at Pollock's working environment by visiting his former home-turned-museum.
• The Art Story: An overview of Pollock's career, including a comprehensive timeline of his life, samples of his artwork, and a list of artistic influences.
• The Story of Jack the Dripper: This "unauthorized" biographical website delves into different aspects of Pollock's life and painting styles; specifically action painting.