1912-1956 American artist, one of the 20th Century painters
One of his more famous paintings is Autumn Rhythm.
In 1930 Jackson returns to New York City with his brother, intent on making a career in Art. In 1931-32, he enrolled at the Art Students League of New York where he took classes from Thomas Hart Benton, who was to become his mentor. Here he learned to paint realistically, then turning toward Expressionism.
He worked at various jobs including janitor and for the Works Projects Administration cleaning monuments. He develops a fairly significant habit of drinking. He is protected and supported by his brother
In 1936 he first meets Lee Krasner.
Pollock became the 'enfant terrible' of the New York Art Scene in 1943 when he was championed by Clement Greenberg and Peggy Guggenheim. Peggy gave Jackson a contract which provided him with a $150 per month stipend to pay his bills. She agreed to sell his paintings through her Art of This Century Gallery. She alone sold Jackson's paintings. During this same time Peggy also represented Robert Motherwell, Mark Rothko, Ad Reinhart, Baziotes, Hans Hofmann and etc.
During this time he was rivals with Willem De Kooning.
In 1949, he appeared on the cover of LIFE Magazine with the headline: "JACKSON POLLOCK- Is He The Greatest Living Painter in the United States?"
In a very real sense, he also owes a great deal of his success to his wife Lee Krasner who was the primary stabalizing force in his life and stood with him through thick and thin. She also acted as his liaison with the world at large. He introduced the concept of Action Painting in which the brush never touched the canvas. Instead the canvas was on the floor and the paint was splashed, dribbled and dripped onto it. This ushered in the next great wave of art in New York called Abstract Expressionism.
People who were associated with Pollock include:
His work is in the permanent collections of many museums, including:
For an excellent portrait of Jackson, you MUST SEE the movie "Pollock" by Ed Harris. This is a no holds barred story of an enormously neurotic genius.
Selected Sources:
Harris, Ed, "POLLOCK" (Film), 2000
Potter, Jeffrey, "To A Violent Grave: An Oral Biography of Jackson Pollock", Pushcart Press, NY 1985
Rubin, William S., "Dada, Surrealism, and Their Heritage", Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1968
Tompkins, Calvin, "Off The Wall, Robert Rauschenberg and the Art World of Our Time", Penguin, New York, 1980
Last Updated 04.10.04 | 
