Jackson Pollock brought painting down to the floor
Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) was an American painter and the leading figure of the Abstract Expressionist movement. His drip and splash works from 1947 remain his best known.
Jackson Pollock at a glance
- Born: 1912, Cody, Wyoming
- Nationality: American
- Lives and works in: New York
- Medium: Oil, enamel, and mixed media on canvas
- Known for: Drip and splash paintings
- Education: Art Students’ League, New York
- Notable project: Lavender Mist (1950)
Early training and influences
Pollock started painting in 1929 at the Art Students’ League under Thomas Hart Benton. In the 1930s his work followed the Regionalists and drew on the Mexican muralists Orozco, Rivera, and Siqueiros.
From 1938 to 1942 he worked for the Federal Art Project. By the mid 1940s he painted fully abstract works, and his drip style appeared suddenly in 1947.
Technique and the all-over canvas
He fixed canvas to the floor or wall and poured paint from cans. Instead of brushes he used sticks, trowels, and knives, sometimes mixing in sand or broken glass.
His all-over style avoided a central motif. The design ignored the canvas edges, and some works were trimmed afterward to suit the image.
On the floor I am more at ease, I feel nearer, more a part of the painting.
Jackson Pollock, 1947
Lavender Mist and Lee Krasner
Lavender Mist measures about 3 meters across. Colored scribbles and spattered lines move in every direction, and the pale lavender tone keeps the surface airy.
Lee Krasner married Pollock in 1944 and received little attention during his lifetime. Her Cobalt Night from 1962 shows the same scale and ambition, and her reputation is growing.
Frequently asked questions
What is drip painting?
It is Pollock’s method of pouring and dripping paint onto a horizontal canvas.
Why did Pollock work on the floor?
He could walk around the canvas and work from all four sides.
What is the all-over style?
It is a composition with no focal point across the whole canvas.
Who was Lee Krasner?
She was an American painter and Pollock’s wife, whose original work is now being recognized.
Where can I see Pollock’s work?
Major United States museums hold his paintings, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
