Jackson Pollock: The Dionysian Painting of Matter
On August 11, 1956, Paul Jackson Pollock, the renowned American artist, tragically lost his life in a car crash in East Hampton, Long Island. Pollock, who was born on January 28, 1912, in Cody, Wyoming, experienced a difficult upbringing and drew inspiration from Native American art during a visit to Phoenix in 1923. After relocating to New York in 1929, he studied under Thomas Hart Benton at the Art Students League. At a Long Island farm, commissioned by Peggy Guggenheim, he pioneered his famous 'dripping' technique, gaining recognition with pieces such as 'Number 1A' (1948). Despite achieving fame, he battled alcoholism and passed away shortly after starting a relationship with Ruth Kligman, which further amplified his legacy.
Key facts
- Jackson Pollock died on August 11, 1956, in a car accident in East Hampton, Long Island.
- Pollock was born on January 28, 1912, in Cody, Wyoming, to Irish and Scottish farmers.
- In 1923, in Phoenix, he encountered Native American rituals and figurative paintings.
- He studied at the Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles and later at the Art Students League under Thomas Hart Benton.
- In 1936, David Alfaro Siqueiros introduced him to experimental painting techniques.
- In 1943, he met Peggy Guggenheim while working at the Museum of Non-Objective Painting, who commissioned 'Mural'.
- Pollock developed the dripping technique, leading to 'action painting' as termed by Harold Rosenberg.
- His work 'Number 1A' (1948) was exhibited at MoMA and remains there.
- Robert Coates coined the term 'Abstract Expressionism' for Pollock's style.
- Pollock's alcoholism worsened after his success; his wife Lenore Krasner left him in 1956, and he was with Ruth Kligman at the time of his death.
Entities
Artists
- Jackson Pollock
- Thomas Hart Benton
- Diego Rivera
- David Alfaro Siqueiros
- Lenore Krasner
- Peggy Guggenheim
- Harold Rosenberg
- Robert Coates
- Ruth Kligman
- Vincent van Gogh
- Filippo Villani
Institutions
- Manual Arts High School
- Art Students League
- Museum of Non-Objective Painting
- Guggenheim Museum
- MoMA
- New Yorker
Locations
- East Hampton
- Long Island
- USA
- Cody
- Wyoming
- Phoenix
- Los Angeles
- New York