Pollock

Artist:  Jackson Pollock

Birth-Death:  1/28/1912 - 8/11/1956

Movement:  Abstract Expressionism

Bio:  Born in Cody, Wyoming, 1912, Pollock was the son of Leroy Pollock and Stella May McClure.  His father was a farmer, and then later a land surveyor for the government.  In 1928, Jackson Pollock was expelled from his high school.  He then attended Los Angeles' Manual Arts High School, from which he was also expelled.  In 1930, he and his brother moved to New York City where they studied at the Art Students League of New York.  Pollock worked for the WPA Federal Art Project from 1935-1943.  From 1938-1942 he underwent psychotherapy with different doctors in an attempt to fight his alcoholism.  Eventually, in 1956, he died in an alcohol-induced car accident.

            Just as Basquiat and Warhol, Pollock was born into a working class family.  Both he and his father worked for the government.  Also similar to Basquiat and Warhol, he had trouble in school.  Instead of dropping out or being an outcast, however, he was expelled twice.  These events may give some insight into the aggression often associated with his work.  His method of drip painting and abstract expressionism, while not the very first of its kind, was a challenge to the art world.  Some argue that there is meaning behind every painting, while others argue that Pollock had no intention of giving his work meaning, that it was purely aesthetic – like a cloud in the sky.  When comparing his paintings to a realistic Italian Renaissance painting, it is interesting to note that they are both considered some of the highest forms of art, despite their extreme differences and qualities. 

          After watching the three videos above, from Jackson Pollock talking about himself, to an artistic documentary about him, to a local news special profiling him, how do the tones change with each video?  Who is the target audience of each video, and how is this apparent in each?