Jackson Pollock “No. 18” circa 1950

"When I am in my painting, I'm not aware of what I'm doing. It is only after a sort of "get acquainted" period that I see what I have been about. I have no fears about making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through. It is only when I lose contact with the painting that the result is a mess. Otherwise there is pure harmony, an easy give and take, and the painting comes out well."
-Pollock

Jackson Pollock is an artist known for his abstract impressionism. This being said he is particularly known for his “drip period.” Instead of using an easel for his work, he would lay his canvas on the ground, and drip and spatter paint onto the canvas in a organized matter. He is to have been said that, he doesn’t really know what he is doing, other than concentrating very hard. It isn’t until he pulls away does he know what his painting looks like. Pollock believed that his paintings had a life of their own, and that he was just the tool to get it out. Pollock is known for breaking the ice of style and technique. This freeform style was not something that was taught at art schools of the time. He broke the ice by way of technique because anyone can do it. Children can create art like this; however, the genius of Pollock shines through. He sticks to a color palette, and he very evenly spreads his spatters. Not only does he do these things that are unique to spatter, but he also does not have any sort of focal point. There is nothing that your mind sticks to when you look at a Pollock. A “All-Over” style of painting, there are no points of emphasis, or any identifiable parts within the canvas. He abandons the traditional idea of composition in relations among the whole. He also has been known to make a huge expanse of spatter canvas, but would trim to what he wants. After he is finished, he decides what makes it to the finished product.
Pollock used a spatter technique which was never used in this way before his time. He was a alcoholic and a smoker which aided in his creative process. His intense passion for his art is apparent if you have ever see a picture of him working. His intense motions of spatter are what make it so difficult to produce a painting like this. He drips, spatters, throws and lightly applies paint with unconventional tools, like sticks, but also he has been known to apply glass, sand and other texturizing elements and smeared them all around to create a look.
This particular painting for Pollock is not the most famous. No. 18 is a painting by Pollock that was not his greatest, or his worst, but looking at the lesser known works, gives a viewer a more appreciation when they do finally see the masterpiece. I believe in starting in the middle when it comes to viewing art, and this for my first piece in my exhibition is a great example of that. The Life of this particular work is ambiguous. He had worked on so many of these paintings at the time that specific information is rare. However, this painting is in the permanent collection of the Guggenheim Museum of Art in New York City.
Pollock was a troubled man. An addict in the best sense of the word, he was an alcoholic, and was known for his eccentric ways. His career unfortunately was short and sweet. He rose to respect by his drip period, but also was criticized. He was known by the New York Times as “Jackson the Dripper.” His praise and criticism were mixed at the time, but his impact is permanent. Artists since have received inspiration for their own work through Jacksons. He started a trend of abstract art that transcends to this present day. His career was cut short by a car accident in the mid to late 50’s. A tragedy to the art world, however, his works still live on.
Pollock’s art lives on through records. He currently holds the top position for the most expensive painting sold at auction or private sale, 148 million dollars to be exact. Unconventional, expensive, his juxtaposition of elaboration and simplicity is the legacy he left us with, which is a great success to me.