ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Richard Jackson's Performative Painting Gains Recognition

artist · 2026-04-23

Richard Jackson, an American artist born in Sacramento in 1939, trained as an engineer and based in California, long remained under the radar. His work has recently gained broad visibility in Europe and the East Coast of the United States through gallery exhibitions and major museums. Notably, his participation in Dionysiac at the Centre Pompidou with the piece Pump Pee Doo drew significant attention. This newfound visibility has firmly placed his performative approach to painting within contemporary art history, bridging the practices of Jackson Pollock and Paul McCarthy.

Key facts

  • Richard Jackson was born in Sacramento in 1939.
  • He trained as an engineer.
  • He is based in California.
  • His work remained little known for a long time.
  • Recent exhibitions in galleries and major museums increased his visibility in Europe and the East Coast of the US.
  • He participated in Dionysiac at the Centre Pompidou with Pump Pee Doo.
  • His practice is described as performative painting.
  • His work is seen as a link between Jackson Pollock and Paul McCarthy.

Entities

Artists

  • Richard Jackson
  • Jackson Pollock
  • Paul McCarthy

Institutions

  • Centre Pompidou

Locations

  • Sacramento
  • California
  • United States
  • Europe
  • East Coast of the United States

Sources