jackson pollock abstract expressionism Male and Female, 1942 Inspired by Navajo Sand Painting 1. The action or process is more important than the actual product. 2. He worked on a large scale, and had his work laid flat on the ground. Worked with Diego Rivera and Thomas Hart Benton in the WPA artist’s project. It was there that he learned to work on such a large scale. Worked with a Jungian psychologist who had him use automatic drawing as part of his therapy. Much of his artwork sprung from those therapy sessions.

Male and Female, 1942

jackson pollock abstract expressionism Stenographic Figure, 1942 His early work had clear cut imagery. But as his career progressed, he used less recognizable images. Peggy Guggenheim presented his work in her gallery for the first time in Soon after, Pollock’s career began to flourish.

Stenographic Figure, 1942

jackson pollock abstract expressionism She Wolf, 1943 Line is defined with gesture rather than with the edge of a shape or contour Line, color, surface, and space are all built at once. There is a suggestion of depth,but it is a shallow depth. Pollock was the first Modern American painter to have international success.

She Wolf, 1943

jackson pollock abstract expressionism Color Action Balance Unity Energy Scale Eyes in the Heat, 1946 Pollock used his whole being when creating his artwork. He used wide gestures with his arms, moving with his entire body, and mentally becoming completely lost in what he was doing. His art relied on his creative impulses. There was no preconceived ideas of the form before he began to paint.

Eyes in the Heat, 1946

jackson pollock abstract expressionism Pasiphae,1943 Pollock hated to sign his work because it implied an act of finality. He had a hard time deciding when his work was complete. He would lay his canvas flat on the floor and work his way around the piece in much the same fashion as the Navajo people create their large scale sand paintings.

Pasiphae,1943

jackson pollock abstract expressionism Simmering Nuances,1946 Pollock would use industrial and enamel paints that would dry very quickly on the canvas. This allowed him to build up many layers into a densely woven pattern. Harold Rosenberg wrote an article about Jackson Pollock and some of the other Action Painters in It was this article that gave these Abstract Expressionists the title of “Action Painters”. Rosenberg’s article had much to do with the success of the American Abstract painters.

Simmering Nuances,1946