Jackson Pollock Painting Analysis

The Meaning Behind Jackson Pollock’s Paintings Paul Jackson Pollock sprung into the world of art in 1936 once he discovered the abstract style of Drip Painting - a technique executed by dripping paints with various viscosities onto a horizontal canvas therefore creating a random, splatter-like pattern. Through this unique style of art, Pollock became popular within a short period of time due to a spread about him and his art in Life magazine featured on August 8th, 1949. Though many people were fans of his abstract style, many doubted this technique, stating that he was a fraud with little to no technique.“The painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through”, said Pollock when asked to explain his abstract artwork (Crook, Learner).

When looking at the content of his paintings, it will be nearly impossible to find because his paintings are sporadic lines which contain no specific content. While looking at the form of his paintings, many more things can be observed, making it much easier to understand. Still looking at the form; if a painting is scrutinized, what materials were used and how they were placed is unveiled. The rough texture of the canvas can be easily spotted along with the technique used to create either the thick or thin lines. In some paintings such as Blue Poles, one of Pollock’s footprints can be seen in the top right corner of the artwork (Ballentine). This is just one example, though there are many. His footprint is a way that he gave a piece of himself to the art. This footprint not only shows him giving a piece of himself, but it also shows how much work he put into these paintings. He placed every line so strategically and put the paint exactly where he wanted it. He used his body to get the lines exactly how he wanted them, whether that was thick or thin. Pollock once stated, “On the floor I am more at ease. I feel nearer, more part of the painting, since this way I can walk around it, work from the four sides and literally be in the painting” (Alloway). I assume that Pollock was referring to himself literally stepping on the canvas in order to get the precise amount of paint where he wanted it. All of this helped me in realizing all of the action that Pollock took to paint these pieces of art, which is why I am certain that all of his work had an intended meaning and none of it was “just some paint splattered on a canvas.” Acknowledging the form of the artwork allows people to visualize how much time, effort, and emotion Pollock put into each one of his pieces rather than looking for a specific something. Pollock once stated, “I want to express my feelings