JACKSON POLLOCK
Paul Jackson Pollock was an american artist of the 20th century and one of the most influential painters in his movement, abstract expressionism.
Pollock was born in Cody, Wyoming (USA) on January 28th in 1912. After his childhood in Cody, he went to New York, where he studied in the Art Students League. Soon, his work started being abstract and surreal. Between 1935 and 1943, Pollock worked for the WPA and painted under Picasso's influence. Besides, since 1938, he worked as well for the Federal Art Project. All this made Pollock meet and know many different styles, techniques (like air pump paint or airbrush) and materials (like varnish or synthetic enamel). Pollock married Lee Krasnernin 1945, who backed him to keep painting and to control his alcoholism. Since 1949, he was paid a monthly payment from Peggy Guggenheim, who became his patron. In 1956, when he had already got over his vices, Pollock died surprisingly in a terrible car accident, at the early age of 44.
Pollock belongs to the abstract expressionism movement, where he was one of the most important artists. His paintings are characterized by some aspects:
- Action painting: this technique consisted on laying the huge canvas on the floor and painting it as the artist walks and moves over the picture.
- Dripping: this other technique was based on letting the paint drip over the picture. Pollock also used to launch the paint against the canvas.
- All-over: Pollock never used to left any blank space in the picture and usually put one paint lay over another one.
NUMBER 8
This picture (exposed in the Neuberger Museum in New York) was painted in 1949, when Pollock was already married and had almost controlled his alcoholism. This picture is one of the first ones of his most remarkable years (1949-1953) and shows very well Pollock's style and techniques.
"Number 8" doesn't show any image or even a feeling. In fact, it has no title which can describe the picture. As Pollock said, he doesn't want to show anything, it's only an action, a fact. This is one of the characteristics of many Pollock's paintings. The technique used in "Number 8" is oil, enamel and aluminium paint on canvas and, as many other Pollock's pictures, it has been painted by "action painting". It's very easy to observe that Pollock has applied the picture either by dripping or by launching it. Eventually, we can also appreciate that he has covered all the canvas surface and has overlaid the paint, creating that peculiar style.
- Illan's opinion (negative): I do not like this painting. Pollock used to paint random and abstractly, but colours were selected: he tried to guess what colours might combine with the other colours. However, in this canvas there is not the bit of sense his pictures used to have. Even one characteristic of Pollock's movement (abstract expressionism) is missing. If this movement was based on abstract paintings that transmit a feeling or an idea, I don't think this canvas satisfies the second characteristic. I argue that this picture is one of the worst pictures ever drawn by him. The only thing that distinguish this picture from any other that anyone can make, is that this one has been painted by Pollock.
- Pelayo's opinion (possitive): I do like this abstract picture. Apart from the interesting techniques Pollock has used to paint it, I think it's also very intriguing from the point of view of what it transmits. The first time I saw it, it shocked me but I like it without giving any reason. Now, I guessed that what makes the picture interesting is the surprise, the difference, the change, the indecision... Maybe, it would be much clear, if only it had a title which described the picture, but that's impossible, because the painting doesn't describe anything. That "no-title" is what makes the painting even more exciting. In my opinion, mixing all that colours, without making a "fudge" and, moreover, causing a surprising reaction on the people who look at it, it's just fascinating!
BY ILLAN & PELAYO
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