Jackson Pollock: A Madman With Paint

Born on January 28, 1912, Jackson Pollock was the leading figure in the abstract expressionism movement throughout the 1940s and 50s (Wikipedia “Jackson Pollock). His paintings changed the art world forever and raised the important question, “What should be considered art?” In this post, I will explore how the youngest of 5 boys from Wyoming became one of the most pivotal characters in art.

While he was living in California, Pollock enrolled in his first official art school, the Los Angeles’ Manual Arts High School, from which he was promptly expelled. Upon moving to New York City with his older brother in 1930, Pollock studied under the famous regionalist painter Thomas Hart Benton. However, Pollock continued to paint in his own unique style. Jackson Pollock eventually developed an alcohol addiction and underwent psychotherapy. He was encouraged by his doctors to explore his mind through his paintings and drawings (Wikipedia “Jackson Pollock”).

This is when Jackson Pollock fully utilized his special “drip” technique. The drip technique is when an artist places his or her canvas on the floor and uses highly fluid paints that would normally be used for houses or cars. Pollock would often use hardened brushes, turkey basters, and sticks to drip the paint on to the canvas. The act of painting had turned into a performance in itself as Pollock was described as “dancing around” his canvas and drawing figures “in space” (The Museum of Modern Art NYC). This technique turned was coined the term “action painting”.

It is said that Jackson Pollock often got lost in his painting, entering into a “trance like” state where he would crawl on his hands and knees onto the canvas smearing the paint with his hands. Unlike some other styles of painting, it is extremely easy to predict the movements Pollock made while he was painting (KhanAcademy). Lines snake back and forth across the canvas, splatters of different colors stretch from side to side, all of which add to the general emotion of the painting. 

In the painting above, trace the different lines as they weave around the canvas. Try to imagine exactly how Pollock created those lines. It is fascinating to think that most if not all of the lines were drawn in “mid-air” and allowed to fall onto the canvas. Also, pay attention to the use of color he uses. Each color Pollock selected compliments each other and allows each element to pop off the canvas.

Jackson Pollock showed how art is truly what you make it. Before he rose to fame, artists before him could be considered to have lived inside the lines. They relied on lines to outline the figures they wanted to make the painting. Pollock relied on the lines themselves to make the painting. He offered a new way of approaching art and forever changed the world’s view on what should be considered art.

Works Cited:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Pollock

"AB EX NY: The Painting Techniques of Jackson Pollock: One: Number 31, 1950."YouTube. YouTube,

24 Oct. 2010. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.

"Pollock's Painting Techniques." KhanAcademy. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.

Image URL:

http://www.thedripartist.com/2010/07/samson/
http://readingthemaps.blogspot.com/2011/11/russells-red-letter-day.html