Lavender-mist portrait by Jackson Pollock-Wikimedia

Top 10 Incredible Facts about Jackson Pollock


 

Paul Jason Pollock was an American painter who made some of the greatest contributions to the art world and has had a significant influence on artists for generations. 

He is seen as the father of abstract expressionism and the creator the of “ drip technique”, which was pouring and splashing liquid on a horizontal surface allowing the painter to paint from all angles.  

Pollock was an iconic artist and genre here are the top 10 incredible facts about Jackson Pollock.

 1. He was the creator of the “drip technique” 

Pollock is perhaps best remembered for grounding and spreading his famous “ drip technique “.The drip technique was a style of painting that involved pouring or splashing liquid paint onto a horizontal surface giving the painter the to view and paint his canvases from all angles. 

The best of his famous painting emerged during the “ drip period”, which was between 1947 and 1950. 

Pollock had a talent for using his newfound technique into producing some of the greatest art histories has seen, making critics wonder how to critique his art some praised him for the beauty and immediacy of his creation and others couldn’t fathom understanding what the artist was portraying.  

His paintings were exhibited in many galleries and attracted the attention of art collectors during his time and even in the modern era, in fact, in 2016 his painting titled Number 17A was reported to have fetched US $200 million in a private purchase. 

 2. His art was named in numbers 

Every creator takes pride in assigning names to their creation, it’s assumed it gives meaning and value to the painting and the audience it’s intended for. 

Pollock’s art was free of constraints and had its flow and danced to the tune of the artist, Pollock was fond of numbering his paintings rather than assigning them names.

During the early stages of his career, Pollock was naming his paintings but with time his mindset shifted upon realizing viewers were searching for figurative elements in his paintings. 

It was then he dealt away with naming his art and instead assigning it a number, he stated “ look passively and try to receive what the painting has to offer and not bring a preconceived idea of what they are to look for “. 

Pollock intended for his viewers to observe and connect with his art in a way that is magical to them. 

 3. He was expelled from two schools  

Pollock was believed to have had a reclusive and volatile personality during his teenage years and he painted trouble. 

The young painter was enrolled at manual Arts Highschool but didn’t stay long as he was expelled, this wasn’t his first time as he had  also been previously expelled inn1928 from another high school 

Despite his trouble-making patterns he was a curious individual and explored native American culture on trips he took with his father which later had a great influence on the way he produced art.

 4. He was an alcoholic  

For the major part of his life Pollock was addicted to alcohol and used it as a means to cope with the pressure that came with being an artist trying to survive in the harsh world he found himself in. 

It’s believed he picked the alcoholic habit from his abusive father and he couldn’t run away from the impact it had on his psychic. 

Pollock’s father was a government land surveyor and a farmer who was a violent alcoholic and it is believed he abused his family frequently.

He left the family when Pollock was just 8 years old and by then the young boy had stored the negative habits of his father in the shadows of his subconscious. 

With his fame emerged harsh critics and the pressure to prove himself suffocated his being, this was worsened by his financial crisis as he tried to make it in the art industry. 

With so much on his plate, he slowly fell to alcohol, making him exhibit violent behaviours and go down the drain of alcoholism. 

 5. He was married to a fellow artist in the mid -1940s  

Pollock met his other half, Lee Krasner in an art exhibition at the McMillen Gallery in 1942.  The two got married in October 1945 in a church with only two witnesses present for the event. 

Krasner was believed to have had the biggest positive impact on Pollack’s art something critics began to recess in the latter half of the 1960s. 

Krasner had extensive knowledge and training in modern art and techniques and she ensured to keep her husband up to date with contemporary art. 

With the influence and the knowledge poured by Krasner, pollock was able to change his style to exhibit a more organized and cosmopolitan genre of modern art. 

Pollock’s wife paved way for his success, introducing him to many collectors, critics and influential artists who helped him progress in his career. 

 6. He has cheated on his wife  

Pollock was a troubled artist and alcohol pushed him down a road he wasn’t proud of. The relationship between the painter and his wife begin to deteriorate by 1956 as a result of the painter’s excessive use of alcohol. 

Soon he indulged in infidelity, his mistress was another artist, Ruth Kligman. Pollock met Kligman when she was in her early twenties and he was 44, it’s said their meeting was like one of those love-at-first-sight things.  The two continued their love affairs till his tragic demise. 

 7. He was admitted to a psychiatric hospital

Its believed Pollock struggled with mental illness from a young age according to Biographics, a letter written by his two older brothers emphasises his mental instability and his troubled childhood sourced as the cause. 

During the early stages of his fame, Pollock was trying to deal away with his acquired alcoholism between 1938 through 1941. 

He decided to undergo therapy and he underwent Jungian Psychotherapy with Dr Joseph L.Henderson.  

Historians believe the artist suffered from bipolar and in 1937 the artist had a nervous breakdown and was institutionalized. 

 8. His first love was sculpting  

Pollock wasn’t just a talented painter but also loved and had a knack for sculpting.  His adoration for sculpture dates back to his high school days in 1930 when he enrolled in a clay modelling course. 

When he took off to New York, he had faith he would make it in the artistic field, not having any specific direction then, though it is believed he wanted to become a great sculptor like Michelangelo. 

Though he found success in his paintings he has also produced several sculptures but only 6 remain as proof. 

9. He was harshly criticised for his art 

Pollock-Krasner_House_studio_floor Author by Rhododendrites-Wikimedia

Many today will agree that Pollock was one the greatest painters of all time, and his talent is an event in his art, but the art he produced couldn’t fit in the generation he lived in. 

He received harsh criticism as his art was out of the ordinary and this exposed him to mockery and criticism from many critics. 

Many critics believed he was inadequate and had little to no technique in painting.  In 1950 Pollock exhibited his art at the Venice Biennale and this was the peak of the harsh criticism that sent him down the drain. 

10. He was his demise 

Pollock-tomb photo by Silanoc-Wikimedia

Pollock met his demise through a single-car crash in his Oldsmobile covetable. He was driving alongside his mistress, Ruth Kligman and was driving under the influence of alcohol. 

The tragic accident took the life of Pollock and another passenger, Edith Metzger but his mistress survived the crash. 

Pollock has many influences on upcoming artists and many art lovers and his paintings have been displayed in esteemed galleries on a worldwide scale, today he is remembered as one of the greatest painters of all time. 

Planning a trip to Paris ? Get ready !


These are Amazon’s best-selling travel products that you may need for coming to Paris.

Bookstore

  1. The best travel book : Rick Steves – Paris 2023 – Learn more here
  2. Fodor’s Paris 2024 – Learn more here

Travel Gear

  1. Venture Pal Lightweight Backpack – Learn more here
  2. Samsonite Winfield 2 28″ Luggage – Learn more here
  3. Swig Savvy’s Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottle – Learn more here

Check Amazon’s best-seller list for the most popular travel accessories. We sometimes read this list just to find out what new travel products people are buying.