From the artist's life
Pollock worked on the floor, walking around and into his canvases; Life magazine asked in 1949 if he was the greatest living painter in the United States.
Source: Wikipedia / WikimediaAbstract Expressionism
Jackson Pollock
Jackson Pollock (1912–1956) revolutionised painting with his drip technique, pouring and flinging paint onto canvases laid on the floor. His vast, rhythmic webs of colour made him the icon of Abstract Expressionism.
Pollock's radical action painting shifted the centre of the art world from Paris to New York.
- Pioneered the drip, or action-painting, technique.
- Painted huge, rhythmic webs of poured colour.
- Made New York the new capital of modern art.
Key works
Where to start
Complete list of key works
Works with a dedicated ArtAtlas page are highlighted in gold.
- Autumn Rhythm (Number 30)On ArtAtlas
- No. 5, 1948Listed for reference
- Blue PolesListed for reference
- Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist)Listed for reference
- Number 17AListed for reference
- One: Number 31, 1950Listed for reference
- Painting (Silver over Black, White, Yellow and Red)Listed for reference
- ConvergenceListed for reference
- Mural on Indian Red GroundListed for reference
- Mural (1943)Listed for reference
1950
Autumn Rhythm (Number 30)
Pollock never touched the canvas with a brush — he poured and dripped enamel while moving around it on the floor.