Growing up in a family with Irish and Scottish origins, Pollock showed an early interest in art. The artistic figure of Jackson Pollock is associated with the so-called New York School, alongside other great artists such as Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, and many others, all united by a rebellious character that made them eternal and unforgettable "Irascibles," marked by nonconformity, psychological introspection, and experimentation.
After attending art school in Los Angeles, Pollock moved to New York in 1930, becoming part of the vibrant artistic scene. His early works reflected a strong surrealist influence. Until the mid-1940s, Pollock showed the influence of Pablo Picasso and Surrealism. He participated in various exhibitions of surreal and abstract art, including "Natural, Insane, Surrealist Art" at Art of This Century (1943) and "Abstract and Surrealist Art in America," curated by Sidney Janis at the Mortimer Brandt Gallery in New York (1944).
It is believed that Abstract Expressionism, the artistic movement of which Pollock is considered one of the foremost figures, drew inspiration from the psychoanalytic ideas of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, prevalent in the intellectual culture of the time. Psychoanalysis focuses on the exploration of the unconscious and the investigation of hidden emotions and inner impulses. Specifically, Freudian theories about the release of repressed emotions and the exploration of unconscious impulses may have influenced Abstract Expressionist artists, including Pollock.
It was in the evolving years of the 1940s that Pollock developed his distinctive style. By the mid-decade, he was painting in an abstract manner. In 1947, he introduced the style that would characterize him—drip painting, where paint was dripped or splattered directly onto the canvas using various tools such as sticks, knives, and syringes.
His studio became a space of frenetic dance, where Pollock, often in a trance, would drip and splash paint directly onto a canvas laid on the ground. The result was an intricate interplay of lines and colors conveying a unique sense of energy and movement.
In 1947, Pollock first presented his Drip Paintings, gaining attention from critics for both his talent and eccentric personality. The following period saw the creation of some of his most famous works, including "No. 5, 1948," which became one of the most expensive abstract paintings ever sold.
However, fame and success also brought increasing pressure on Pollock, who struggled with alcoholism and personal issues. In 1956, at the age of 44, Pollock died in a car accident.
The first major exhibition of Jackson Pollock in Europe took place in Rome in 1958, at the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna, just over a year after his death.... read the rest of the article»
In 2014, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence also dedicated an exhibition to the great master of Abstract Expressionism, juxtaposing the work of the American artist with another giant of universal art, Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), showcasing sixteen Pollock works at Palazzo Vecchio.
Today, several of his works are preserved and exhibited at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. Peggy Guggenheim had a privileged relationship with Pollock, offering him a contract from 1943 to 1947 that allowed him to dedicate himself exclusively to painting. In 1943, Peggy presented the first of the four solo exhibitions dedicated to the great American artist in the Art of This Century gallery-museum in New York.
Pubblicato il January 28, 2024
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