Jackson Pollock

Jackson Pollock was born on January 28, 1912, in Wyoming.  He was born into a family that moved around a lot.  Pollock’s father left the family when Pollock was young, and he was left with his mother and four brothers.  Pollock dealt with a lot of anger and sadness, and painting was his way to handle his emotions.  He moved to New York with a brother, and his artwork developed there.  In 1945, Pollock married Lee Krasner who was also an artist.  Jackson’s style of painting was very active.  He would spread a canvas on the floor and work from all four sides of the canvas.  This way of painting earned him the nickname “Action Jackson”.  Pollock also battle alcoholism during his lifetime, and he died in the summer of 1956 in a car accident related to alcohol.

I choose to research Jackson Pollock because he seemed like a really interesting person.  It was also one of the names I recognized when I searched for a list of some abstract artists, so I would have an idea of what books to look for.  The story of his battle with alcoholism added some allure and mystery to his story.  I also really liked the “drip” style paintings that he did.  They look like they would be so easy to do, but I bet they involved much more skill than most people could imagine.

Here are some samples of his work:

Sample 1: Male and Female (1942)

This is one of Pollock’s first major pieces of artwork.

Sample 2: Number One (1948)

Some critics see this work as exhibiting freedom and unexpectedness.

Sample 3: Black and White No. 51 (1951)

This is one of a series of paintings Pollock did using the same technique and style.

Sample 4: The Deep (1953)

This is one of Pollock’s most important later works.

Sample 5: Autumn Rhythm (Number 30) (1950)

This is an example of Pollock’s drip paintings.  

Bennet, Leonie. The Life and Work of Jackson Pollock. Heinemann-Raintree Library, 2004. Print.

Mattern, Joanne. Jackson Pollock. Checkerboard Books, 2005. Print.