Jackson Pollock — best-known abstract expressionist and his painting №5

Perhaps, you've heard a name like Jackson Pollock. Well, if you have not heard it, then maybe you know this picture:

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It became the most expensive painting in the world in 2006, sold at auction for 140 million dollars. I will leave my thoughts on this work with me, but I will say that Pollock's art has caused both admiration and a lot of criticism at the same time. I remember how one teacher of fine arts said that «art does not have to call only positive emotions. If it awakens already something inside, then it can already be called art».

This picture is rather large with the parameters of 243.8 x 121.9 cm, written with a special «brand» style of the artist. It creates a sense of three-dimensionality, because Pollock literally walked on the canvas and dropped paint in different directions. He used not ordinary oil or watercolor paints, but synthetic ones and even automotive paints. The painting was sold for the first time for 1500 dollars and during delivery was damaged. Instead of restoring it Pollock decided to paint the same one, hoping that no one would notice the changes. However, the owner saw that the picture was different, but in that form, he liked it even more.

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Let's dive into Pollock's biography to see how one of the most popular artists lived.

Jackson Pollock, a representative of abstract expressionism, was born in Wyoming in 1912 in a rather untenable family: his father could not find a permanent job, so he and his family traveled along America and earned doing various jobs. Soon he almost completely left his wife and children and occasionally sent them money. Jackson's mother was kind of unbalanced, who could not but affect the nature of the child and his creative work.

The boy often withdrew into himself and he had angry fits that resulted in unpredictable actions. The formation of the world view was influenced by the teachings of one mystical leader who claimed that intuition was the main thing for understanding life and truth. In his opinion, a person should be free, unhinderedly «taking out» the inner world. Pollock believed that he could better accompish such an activity through art.

By and large, Jackson did not have a penchant for drawing and did not spend a lot of time behind the canvases. For him, becoming an artist was rather a decision that continued his philosophy.

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He learned from the New York artist Thomas Hart Benton, who seemed to be a beginner of American painting. Pollock learned a lot from him and he admired Mexican artists, but on top of that he learned to drink alcohol. After the departure of his teacher from New York, Pollock got so addicted to drinking that he even got to the hospital. After spending about four months there and having experienced different states, the artist began to sketch more in a surreal and abstract style, rather than realistic.

It is worth noting that Pollock tried to end alcoholism and even deepened into Jungian teachings, but lost.

The next turning point for the artist's work was the acquaintance with the curator of the Metropolitan Museum, John Graham. It was he who advised Pollock to approach primitivism in his works. The advice proved to be very efficient and Pollock's works were given more simplicity, but at the same time, mysticism. That was the moment of entry into the world of representatives of art.

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A lot of the artist’s «promotion» was made by Lee Krasner, also an artist, who later became his wife. She was the person who introduced Pollock to celebrities in the field of painting. In 1943, his personal exhibition was opened, which caused a furore among critics and connoisseurs of paintings. But oddly enough, the artist's works were not sold. Even the presence of the agent did not bring any results within five years.

The first picture sold cost 8000 dollars. For Pollock the amount was fabulous, in regard that he lived very modestly.

After the wedding with Lee Pollock drew in their house right on the floor, and later moved to his workshop, equipped in a barn. Here the third intensive period of creativity took place, after which Pollock again started drinking and his wife left him because of his love story.

The artist died in a car accident, as he drove in a state of intoxication. He was 44 years old.

For his time he was an innovator. Invented by him drip painting is now used by many artists. Pollock said that when he started drawing, he was so absorbed in the process that he lost the sense of time, and the only thing that controlled him was emotion.

There was a movie shot about his life named «Pollock».

Sources: 1, 2.