Jackson Pollock As You Never Knew Him-No Drips!

Los Tres Grandes by Jackson Pollack  from google image for  educational purposes only

There was a time when "Jack the Dripper" did not do the abstract drip paintings on the floor that you may know him by.  Many people do not know about his time in the WPA(click) and the Federal One Project. He studied with other artists who would later become famous as well. Another artists you may know is Thomas Hart Benton.  From 1935-42 Pollock's work was very different artist than the abstract expressionist he became later.  He revered the Mexican muralist artists of the 1930's, one of which was Diego Rivera.  When you look at Rivera's art it is not hard to see the influence. 

Diego Rivera   Mexican Muralists  from google for education only

"Jackson Pollock, often considered America's greatest modern painter, was born on January 28, 1912, in Cody, Wyoming. He grew up in Arizona and California and studied art at the Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles, eventually studying with the painter Thomas Hart Benton at the Art Students League in New York.

Thoma Hart Benton  Work Project Mural

Pollock admired the Mexican muralists of the 1930s. These artists had a great influence on his work, particularly with regards to scale and social theme. Like many artists of the day, he found work through the WPA Federal Art Projects from 1935 to 1942. During these formative years of Abstract Expressionism, Pollock's role as leader came to be recognized. He had his first show at Peggy Guggenheim's gallery, The Art of This Century, in 1943. 

Pollock, who suffered from alcoholism and depression, underwent psychoanalysis for several years. His treatment fostered an interest in Carl Jung's theories of trans-historical archetypes that formed the basis of the artist's works, particularly from 1942 to 1947. 

In the late 1940's, Pollock began to develop the technique of "action painting." Placing the canvas on the floor, he used brushes as implements to drip paint. This moment marks the greatest Abstract Expressionist achievement – symbolized by the Drip and a rejection of the traditional figure-ground relationship, often referred to as the Allover. In this process, Pollock challenged the entire Western easel tradition. In 1949, Life Magazine, placing Pollock on the cover, asked "Is This the Greatest American Painter?" catapulting Pollock and the Abstract Expressionist movement to the forefront." from an article with the L&M Gallery