Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) is regarded as the undisputed leader of the Abstract Expressionist movement. He was born in Wyoming in 1912. At the age of 18 he moved to New York from California. He studied (1929–31) in New York City, mainly under Thomas Hart Benton. His own style evolved which was influenced by Mexican muralist painters and by Surrealist art. Affected by surrealism and also by Picasso, he moved toward a highly abstract art in order to express, rather than illustrate, feeling. His experimentations led to the development of his famous “drip” technique, in which he energetically drew or “dripped” complicated linear rhythms onto enormous canvases. His energetic style of painting led to the term “action painting.” Pollock had become a symbol of the new artistic revolt, abstract expressionism, when he was killed in an automobile accident at 44 years old.

Visit the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center site.

http://naples.cc.sunysb.edu/CAS/pkhouse.nsf/pages/pollock