GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Jackson Pollock was a revolutionary and influential American painter, and the leading member of the abstract expressionism movement. Born outside of Cody, Wyoming in 1912, Pollock's childhood was spent in the American West. He attended Emmanuel Arts High School in Los Angeles and was exposed to art early on in his life by his brothers Sandy and Charles, who were practicing artists. In 1930, he and Charles moved to New York City, and his early work reflects the influence of mentor Thomas Hart Benton [1945.1], who he studied with at the Art Students League.
Between 1935 and 1940, he entered therapy with a Jungian analyst, and a 'mythic imagery,' which can be associated with a Surrealistic influence from both Jung and Freud, appears in some of his earlier paintings [2017.7]. By the early 1940's he developed a painterly abstract style, and from 1946 to 1950 he worked with the canvas on the floor, pouring skeins of paint across the surface from all four sides, creating an all-over texture of lines and splatters. Pollock maintained a controlled flow over the paint, deliberately absorbing chance effects, and his poured paintings have a remarkable monumentality [1950.87]. In the 1950's his work became much larger, involving huge swirls of color [19676.8]. He also executed a series of entirely black and white enamelized paintings.
His style was a breakthrough for modernist painting, and he stands at the forefront of a generation of American painters who achieved international fame. Throughout his life, Pollock enjoyed a notorious reputation, to which his therapy, alcoholism, and premature death in a car accident all contributed. A towering figure in 20th-century art, Pollock's tragic death at age 44 cut short the development of his innovative artistic vision. Surviving him was his wife, Lee Krasner (1908-1984), whom art historians recognize as a major abstract expressionist painter [1994.247.2], although overshadowed by Pollock during her lifetime.
Adapted from
- Charles Wylie, Gallery Talk, 2003.
- DMA unpublished material.
NOTES
- DMA unpublished material = "Primitivism Biographies," DMA research document, Education files, n.d.
Gail Davitt, biographical essays, education files, 1986-1987.
Jackson Pollock (1912-1956 b. Cody, Wy.) worked in NYC
Jackson Pollock is one of the best known Abstract Expressionists. He was
born in 1912 in Cody, Wyoming and was always somewhat of a rebel. During
his early childhood, his family moved around a great deal. In 1928 he
enrolled in the Manual Arts High School, from which he was expelled many
times. In 1930 he attended the Art Students League and studied under
Thomas Hart Benton. In 1933 he studied with John Sloan and Robert Laurent.
From 1936 to 1942 he worked with the WPA Easel Project. In 1943 he worked
with Robert Motherwell on collages for an exhibit at Peggy Guggenheim's Art
of This Century Gallery. In 1946 he began to make his first allover poured
paintings. . Although his "drip paintings" made him famous, Pollock
continued to be plagued with severe alcohol problems. From late 1954 until
his death in 1956 he painted few works, some of which showed a return to
figurative imagery.
Portrait and a Dream, 1953, enamel on canvas, 58 1/8 x 34 1/4"
A late painting, Portrait and a Dream explores psychological and Jungian
dualities, in opposing styles of abstract and figurative forms
Cathedral, 1947, enamel and aluminum paint on canvas, 71 1/2 x 35 1/16"
Hayride, 1935-36, lithograph, 9 1/4 x 13"
ASSOCIATED CONTENT CHUNKS
AUDIO ASSETS
- 28775560: UMO; curator Charles Wylie gives a brief biography of Jackson Pollock
- 256636029: UMO: Late Night lecture: Jim Coddington, Chief Conservator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and Mark Leonard, Chief; Conservator at the Dallas Museum of Art, discuss the field of paintings conservation. They will take a special look at the painting materials and techniques used by Jackson Pollock as well as the preservation challenges his works present.
- 257137167: UMO; Gallery talk by Dr. Michael Corris, Professor of Art at Southern Methodist University
- 257424767: UMO; Gavin Delahunty, The Hoffman Family Senior Curator of Contemporary Art and curator of Jackson Pollock: Blind Spots, provides a deeper look at this often underexplored but pivotal part of the artist's oeuvre known as the black paintings. Blind Spots brings together the most significant showing of this widely debated body of work in a public institution since 1980.
VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
Hans Namuth photography (all web restricted, but attaching just in case that ever changes)
251964848: UMO
253366715: UMO
253366775: UMO
253388704: UMO; this image should be used as the CC primary image. has been tagged above with image. [Artist Jackson Pollock dribbling sand on painting while working in his studio. (Photo by Martha Holmes/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)]
WEB RESOURCES
- SFMoMA~Watch archival footage of Jackson Pollock narrating and demonstrating his artistic process.
- MoMA~Explore 86 works by Pollock at the Museum of Modern Art.
- Khan Academy~Watch a short video about Jackson Pollock.
- SAAM~See earlier works by Pollock.
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
TEACHING IDEAS
RULES
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apply to objects where constituent_id equals 680
apply to content where content contains Pollock
Category
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OR
General Description
Jackson Pollock was a revolutionary and influential American painter, and the leading member of the abstract expressionism movement. Born outside of Cody, Wyoming in 1912, Pollock's childhood was spent in the American West. He attended Emmanuel Arts High School in Los Angeles and was exposed to art early on in his life by his brothers Sandy and Charles, who were practicing artists. In 1930, he and Charles moved to New York City, and his early work reflects the influence of mentor Thomas Hart Benton [1945.1], who he studied with at the Art Students League.
Between 1935 and 1940, he entered therapy with a Jungian analyst, and a 'mythic imagery,' which can be associated with a Surrealistic influence from both Jung and Freud, appears in some of his earlier paintings [2017.7]. By the early 1940's he developed a painterly abstract style, and from 1946 to 1950 he worked with the canvas on the floor, pouring skeins of paint across the surface from all four sides, creating an all-over texture of lines and splatters. Pollock maintained a controlled flow over the paint, deliberately absorbing chance effects, and his poured paintings have a remarkable monumentality [1950.87]. In the 1950's his work became much larger, involving huge swirls of color [19676.8]. He also executed a series of entirely black and white enamelized paintings.
His style was a breakthrough for modernist painting, and he stands at the forefront of a generation of American painters who achieved international fame. Throughout his life, Pollock enjoyed a notorious reputation, to which his therapy, alcoholism, and premature death in a car accident all contributed. A towering figure in 20th-century art, Pollock's tragic death at age 44 cut short the development of his innovative artistic vision. Surviving him was his wife, Lee Krasner (1908-1984), whom art historians recognize as a major abstract expressionist painter [1994.247.2], although overshadowed by Pollock during her lifetime.
Adapted from
- Charles Wylie, Gallery Talk, 2003.
- DMA unpublished material.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
Web Resources
- SFMoMA~Watch archival footage of Jackson Pollock narrating and demonstrating his artistic process.
- MoMA~Explore 86 works by Pollock at the Museum of Modern Art.
- Khan Academy~Watch a short video about Jackson Pollock.
- SAAM~See earlier works by Pollock.
Notes
- DMA unpublished material = "Primitivism Biographies," DMA research document, Education files, n.d.
Gail Davitt, biographical essays, education files, 1986-1987.
Jackson Pollock (1912-1956 b. Cody, Wy.) worked in NYC
Jackson Pollock is one of the best known Abstract Expressionists. He was
born in 1912 in Cody, Wyoming and was always somewhat of a rebel. During
his early childhood, his family moved around a great deal. In 1928 he
enrolled in the Manual Arts High School, from which he was expelled many
times. In 1930 he attended the Art Students League and studied under
Thomas Hart Benton. In 1933 he studied with John Sloan and Robert Laurent.
From 1936 to 1942 he worked with the WPA Easel Project. In 1943 he worked
with Robert Motherwell on collages for an exhibit at Peggy Guggenheim's Art
of This Century Gallery. In 1946 he began to make his first allover poured
paintings. . Although his "drip paintings" made him famous, Pollock
continued to be plagued with severe alcohol problems. From late 1954 until
his death in 1956 he painted few works, some of which showed a return to
figurative imagery.
Portrait and a Dream, 1953, enamel on canvas, 58 1/8 x 34 1/4"
A late painting, Portrait and a Dream explores psychological and Jungian
dualities, in opposing styles of abstract and figurative forms
Cathedral, 1947, enamel and aluminum paint on canvas, 71 1/2 x 35 1/16"
Hayride, 1935-36, lithograph, 9 1/4 x 13"
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