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Jackson Pollock
Jackson Pollock (cropped).jpg
Pollock, around 1928
Born
Paul Jackson Pollock

(1912-01-28)January 28, 1912
Cody, Wyoming, U.S.
Died August 11, 1956(1956-08-11) (aged 44)
Springs, New York, U.S.
Education Art Students League of New York
Known for Painting
Notable work
  • Number 17A (1948)
  • No. 5, 1948 (1948)
  • Mural on Indian Red Ground (1950)
  • Autumn Rhythm (1950)
  • Convergence (1952)
  • Blue Poles (Number 11, 1952) (1952)
  • The Deep (1953)
Movement Abstract expressionism
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 1945)​
Signature
Jackson Pollock Signature.svg

Paul Jackson Pollock (born January 28, 1912 – died August 11, 1956) was a famous American painter. He is best known for his special "drip technique." This is where he poured or splashed liquid paint onto a canvas laid flat on the floor. This way, he could paint from all sides. His style was also called "all-over painting" and "action painting" because he used his whole body to create art that covered the entire canvas.

Pollock's paintings are now in art museums around the world. His work is considered very important and valuable. Many movies have been made about his interesting life.

Early Life and Art Beginnings

Paul Jackson Pollock was born in Cody, Wyoming, in 1912. He was the youngest of five brothers. His parents, Stella May and LeRoy Pollock, were from Tingley, Iowa. His father worked as a farmer and later as a land surveyor. His mother, Stella, made and sold dresses. When Jackson was only 10 months old, his family moved to San Diego. He never went back to Cody. He grew up in places like Arizona and Chico, California.

Pollock went to Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles but was expelled. He had also been expelled from another high school in 1928. When he was young, he learned about Native American culture during trips with his father. He was also greatly inspired by Mexican mural painters, especially José Clemente Orozco. Pollock once called Orozco's fresco Prometheus "the greatest painting in North America."

In 1930, Pollock moved to New York City, following his older brother Charles Pollock. They both studied art at the Art Students League of New York with Thomas Hart Benton. Benton's style of painting rural American scenes did not influence Pollock much. However, Benton's way of using paint and his strong independence did stay with Pollock. In the early 1930s, Pollock traveled through the Western United States with Benton and another art student, Glen Rounds.

Becoming a Famous Artist

In 1936, Pollock learned about using liquid paint at a special workshop in New York City. This workshop was led by the Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros. That summer, Pollock also visited Dartmouth College to study a huge mural called “The Epic of American Civilization” by José Clemente Orozco. Pollock started using paint pouring as one of his techniques in the early 1940s. You can see this in paintings like Male and Female.

After he moved to Springs, New York, Pollock began to paint with his canvases on the floor. This is when he really developed his famous "drip" technique.

From 1938 to 1942, Pollock worked for the WPA Federal Art Project. This was a government program that helped artists during a difficult economic time.

In 1943, Pollock signed a contract with Peggy Guggenheim, an important art collector who supported many artists. She asked him to create a large painting, 8-by-20-foot (2.4 by 6.1 m), called Mural for her new home. Her friend, the artist Marcel Duchamp, suggested Pollock paint it on canvas so it could be moved. After seeing the big mural, art critic Clement Greenberg said, "I took one look at it and I thought, 'Now that's great art,' and I knew Jackson was the greatest painter this country had produced."

Pollock's Unique Drip Technique

Pollock's most famous paintings were made during his "drip period" between 1947 and 1950. By painting on a flat surface, he could walk around the canvas and apply paint from all directions. This added a new way of creating art.

He became very famous after an article about him appeared in Life magazine on August 8, 1949. The article asked, "Is he the greatest living painter in the United States?" At the height of his fame, Pollock suddenly stopped using his drip style.

Later Life and Legacy

On August 11, 1956, Pollock died in a car crash. His wife, Lee Krasner, was visiting friends in Europe at the time. She quickly returned home when she heard the sad news.

Four months after his death, in December 1956, a special exhibition of Pollock's work was held at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. A larger show of his art happened there in 1967. In 1998 and 1999, his work was honored with big exhibitions at MoMA and at The Tate in London.

For the rest of her life, Lee Krasner made sure that Pollock's art and reputation remained strong. Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner are buried in Green River Cemetery in Springs. A large rock marks his grave, and a smaller one marks hers.

Art Market Success

Pollock's paintings have sold for very high prices. In 1973, his painting Number 11, 1952 (also known as Blue Poles) was bought by the Australian government for US$2 million. At that time, it was the most expensive modern painting ever sold. Today, it is one of the most popular artworks at the National Gallery of Australia.

In November 2006, Pollock's No. 5, 1948 became the world's most expensive painting. It sold for about US$163.8 million dollars. Another one of his paintings, No. 12 (1949), sold for $11.7 million in 2004. In 2012, Number 28, 1951, sold for $20.5 million.

In 2013, Pollock's Number 19 (1948) sold for over $58 million at an auction. In February 2016, it was reported that Number 17A sold for $200 million.

The Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center is where Pollock and his wife lived and worked. It is now a museum run by Stony Brook University. You can take tours of the house and studio from May through October.

List of Major Works

Pollock-Krasner House studio floor
Pollock's studio floor in Springs, New York, showing paint from his work between 1946 and 1953

Images for kids

  • Pollock-barn

    Pollock's studio in Springs, New York

  • Pollock-green

    Jackson Pollock's grave in the rear with Lee Krasner's grave in front in the Green River Cemetery

  • Namuth - Pollock

    Photographer Hans Namuth extensively documented Pollock's unique painting techniques

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Jackson Pollock para niños

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