In 1945 Pollock married artist Lee Krasner. A few days after their wedding the couple moved away from the hustle and hype of New York City Long Island , and it is there they found a very different lifestyle, that of simplicity. They had no electricity and no running water within their home, and their toilet was in the yard. Repairs were definitely on their list of things to do after moving in, however, that this atmosphere is why they moved away from the big city. It was here that Pollock’s working methods began to shift. In the summer of 1946 he would paint his first piece on the floor (The Key from his Accabonac Creek series). His studio was their renovated barn and his main source of light was from a top light he had cut into the roof. He wanted no other windows put into the building so that he would not be distracted, and in turn his inspiration would no longer be from the outside world. One can visit this studio today and see the remnants of his famous method, which consisted of dripping, pouring, and throwing paint on a large canvas placed on the floor. He often would explain that this way of painting allowed him to be in the painting, to be a part of it (Kuster pp. 12-13).
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Pollock’s work was very influential. His “drip” technique as discussed above introduced the idea of Action Painting, in which the canvas was no longer just something to place paint on, but a place in which the artist could actively engage (Kuster pp.13-14). He further enhanced this modern sense of portraying personality in your work, for his pieces were very self-expressive. Pollock opened one of the many doors in regards to what can be termed art, and how said art is to be made. Of course, because of the nature of what he did there were many critics. Many see his work and believe that a child could do the same. Even those that do see the aesthetic qualities of it argue about the true meaning/feeling behind his work. This is, however, to be expected for any piece of abstract art. He was also a proponent of the idea of “formless” painting, but many argued that even that which is “formless” has a “form” of some sort. There are also those that say that while his way of doing things is liberating, it does has limitations due to the means available to the artist, and is therefore still bound.
There were many reasons I chose to do a tribute to Jackson Pollock. One reason is because he is so self-expressive. I read this quote where he states that, “Painting is a state of being...Painting is a self-discovery. Every good artist paints what he is,” and I wanted to be a part of this phenomenon. I love drawing and sculpture, but I haven’t had much experience with painting, and to be honest it sounded fun, so I thought I’d give it a try. After making my pieces (I ended up doing two because my first kind of ended up a soupy mess), I had a greater appreciate for Pollock. For one, there is definitely skill involved. I tried to imitate some of the shapes I saw in his piece, Autumn Rhythm, while creating a sense of unity of my own, and doing so was very difficult. There is a technique in placing the paint on the canvas that requires skill and practice. It is also kind of exciting because while there is definitely skill there is also an element of luck (or at least there was for me). I watched a video about him (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrVE-WQBcYQ&list=QL&playnext=1), and in it he explains how his paintings have a life of their own, and after attempting it myself, I have a better grasp of what he means. There is something about this process that allows you to go beyond yourself and get in this state that is partially out of your control, if that makes sense. I love Pollock’s work, and I am excited to experiment more with his style, and maybe even, on a smaller scale, create my own.
Works Cited
Pollock, J., & Fondation Beyeler. (2008). Action painting. Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz.
Schatz, Jean Ershler. “Jackson Pollock.” Ask Art Academic. <http://www.askart.com/AskART/artists/biography.aspx?searchtype=BIO&artist=3009>
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