Jackson Pollock: “Action Jackson” - ELEMENTARY · Jackson Pollock was born in Cody, Wyoming,...
Transcript of Jackson Pollock: “Action Jackson” - ELEMENTARY · Jackson Pollock was born in Cody, Wyoming,...
JacksonPollock:“ActionJackson”
JacksonPollockwasborninCody,Wyoming,USAin1912,theyoungestoffivebrothers.Thefamilydidn’thavemuchmoneyandhadtomovefromonefarmorranchtoanotheraroundthe
AmericanWest.Eventhoughtherewasplentyofworkforeveryone,Jackson’smotherencouragedherchildrentodoart.
ThePollockfamilyenjoyingwatermelon.ThebluearrowpointstoJackson!
WhenJacksonPollockwaseightyearsold,helivedinanareaofCalifornianearNativeAmericancommunities.Heheardstories,sawdancesandwatchedartistscreatesandpaintings.Heincludedsomeofthesesymbolsandideasinhislaterpaintings.
Pollockandhisbrotherssometimeswentwithhimontrips.HereisaphotoofPollockwithhisfatheratage14or15attheGrandCanyoninArizonain1927.
WhenJacksongotalittleolder,hisfathertravelledforhisjobasalandsurveyorforthegovernment.
PollockstudiedartinhighschoolinLosAngeles,California,buthadtroublegettingalongwiththeteachersandstudents.Atage18,JacksonmovedacrossthecountrytoNewYorkCity.HejoinedhisolderbrotherCharlesstudyingatanartschoolthere.
Pollock’sartteacherinNewYork,ThomasHartBenton,inspiredsomeofPollock’searlypaintings.Bentonlikedpaintingwesternthemes.OntheleftisapaintingbyPollock’steacher.OntherightisapaintingbyJacksonPollock.Howarethesetwopaintingssimilar?Howaretheydifferent?
ArtsoftheWest,Benton,1932
GoingWest,Pollock,1934-1935
AtthistimetheGreatDepressionwashappening.Formanyyears,banksandcompanieswereshuttingdownandmany,manypeoplecouldn’tfindjobsorfoodfortheirfamilies.Likemanyartistsatthistime,Pollockhadahardtimemakingenoughmoneytoliveandmakeart.Heworkedforhisteacher,cleaningtheartstudioandhelpingwithBenton’spaintings. Self-Portrait,1930
Pollockfeltfrustratedwhenhispaintingsdidn’tturnoutthewayhe’dseentheminhismind.Sometimeshewasangryandhardtobearound,buthisteachersandfellowartistskeptworkingwithhimbecausetheyrespectedhistalent.Pollock’steacherBentononcesaidofhim,“Pollockwasabornartist.”ButPollockwasn’tsurewhatkindofanartisthewantedtobe.Head,1938-1941
HowdoyoufeelwhenyoulookatthispaintingbyPollock?
Representationalvs.AbstractAtthistime,manyartistswerere-creatingtheoldrulesofart.Inthepastartalwaysdepictedaperson,place,orthing.Wecallthis“representationalart.”Nowsomeartistsbegantousethebasicelementsofart—suchasline,shape,texture,andcolor—toexpressafeeling,thought,orenergy,withoutillustratingaperson,place,orthing.
Thisbecameknownas“abstractart.”
TheFlame1938
Pollockvisitedmuseums,galleries,andotherstudiostostudytheworkofotherartists—hewasinfluencedbyPabloPicasso,JanetSobel,JoséOrozco,andDavidSiqueiros.
Mural,1943
LeeKrasnerwasanotheryoungartistinNewYorkCityatthetime.ShealsorespectedPabloPicasso,andduringWorldWarIIherpaintingswereinthesameartshowaspaintingsbyJacksonPollock.
PhotoofLeeKrasnerworkingataneasel
Untitled,LeeKrasner1925
WhenshesawPollock’spaintings,Krasnerimmediatelywantedtomeethim,andsoondid.Shesaidlater,“IhadaconvictionwhenImetJacksonthathehadsomethingimportanttosay.”PollockandKrasnerfellinloveandaffectedeachother’sartworkinimportantways.
MoonWoman,1942
In1945,WorldWarIIended.PollockandKrasnergotmarriedandmovedfromNewYorkCitytoafarmhouseonnearbyLongIsland.Bythistime,Pollockhadbeenhavingproblemswithalcoholanddepressionoffandonforyears.Theyhopedthefarmwouldbeapeacefulplacetoliveandworkontheirart.
ShimmeringSubstance,1945
Nexttotheirfarmhousewasabarn.Nowatthetimemostpainterspaintedonacanvasthatwasstretchedontoawoodenframeandsetuponaneasel,justasmanydotoday.(Krasnerwasusinganeaselinthephotoyousawofher.)Pollocklikedtopaintinthebarn,butby1947hehadstartedpaintingwiththeunframedcanvasrightdownonthefloor.(YoucanseethispaintingattheSeattleArtMuseum.)
SeaChange,1947
Thiswayhecouldwalkaroundallsidesofthecanvas,movingenergetically,drippingorflingingorpouringpaint,oftenordinaryhousepaint,downontothecanvasinsteadoftouchingapaintbrushtothecanvas.
Hesaid,“Ifeelnearer,moreapartofthepaintingsincethiswayIcanwalkaroundit,workfromthefoursides,andliterallybeinthepainting,similartotheIndiansandpaintersoftheWest.”
FullFathomFive,1947
Pollockcalledthisstyleofpainting“actionpainting.”Otherscalledit“drippainting.”Itisthisstylethathe’sfamousfor.Heexplainedhisactionpaintingonceas“…energyandmotionmadevisible—memoriesarrestedinspace.”
Eventhoughotherartistshaduseddrippingorpouring,Pollockhaddevelopedsomethingnew.Somepeoplewhosawhispaintingslikedit;somedidn’t.Somethoughthisactionpaintswerejustrandomsplattersofpaintwithoutskillorintention.ButPollocksaid,“Icancontroltheflowofpaint;thereisnoaccident.”
Number1,1948
Whethertheyappreciatedhispaintingsornot,peopleweretalkingandwritingaboutPollock.In1948,anarticleaboutPollockappearedinLIFEmagazine,whichwasreadbymanyAmericans.Pollockandhisdrippaintingsbecameveryfamous.
Beingfamousmeantmorepeoplewantedtobuyhispaintings.Hecouldsellthemformoremoney,butPollockfeltpressureandstressfromalltheattentionandpeoplewantingnewpaintings.Hegrewdepressedandangry.From1951on,hepaintedlessandless.
Convergence,1952
In1956,Pollockdiedinacaraccident.Hewas44yearsold.LeeKrasnercontinuedtopromotePollock’sartuntilherdeathin1984.ManypeoplewhotalkandwriteaboutartcallJacksonPollockoneofthegreatartistsofthetwentiethCentury.
TheDeep,1953
Nowwe’llreadastoryaboutthecreationofoneofPollock’spaintings…andthenwe’llpaint!