The Legacy of Jackson Pollock

Learn about the life and works of the influential American painter, Jackson Pollock.

During his lifetime, Jackson Pollock experienced considerable fame and notoriety. His greatness lies in developing one of the most radical abstract styles in the history of modern art, detaching line from color, redefining the categories of drawing and painting, and finding new means to describe pictorial space.

Jackson Pollock was born in Cody, Wyoming in 1912 where he grew up experiencing Native American culture. And although he never admitted an intentional imitation or following of Native American art, Pollock did concede that any similarities were probably a result of his “early memories and enthusiasm”.

In 1929, Pollock studied at the Students’ League in New York under regionalist painter Thomas Hart Benton. In the early 1930s he worked in the regionalist style and was also influenced by Mexican muralist painters such as Diego Rivera, as well as some aspects of surrealism. In the 1940s, Jackson Pollock introduced his famous ‘drip paintings’, which represent one of the most original bodies of work of the century, and forever altered the course of American art. Instead of having a canvas fixed to an easel, he would lay it against the wall or on the floor and let paint drip from the can, then proceed to add depth to the artwork using knives, towels, or sticks.

This form of painting is similar to the surreal movement, in the way that it has a direct relation to the artist’s emotions, expression, and mood which showcases their feelings behind the painting they designed. This ‘All-Over’ method of painting is tied to Pollock, and many of the artwork he has created. In 1951, at the height of his career, Vogue magazine published fashion photographs by Cecil Beaton of models posing in front of Pollock’s drip paintings.

Jackson Pollock unfortunately suffered a premature death due to a car accident, adding to the legendary status which he is still known from in the art world today. To this day Pollock is known as a leader in the most important 20th century American art movements due to the risks and creative approaches he took. He made it possible for American painting to compete with European modernism by applying modernism’s logic to a new problem. What do you think about Jackson Pollock's life and legacy? How do you connect with his work?

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