Jackson Pollock

[Puros Y Vino]

I went to the Art Gallery of Ontario yesterday to see the Abstract Expressionist New York exhibit. One of the featured artists was Jackson Pollock who has gained some serious notoriety and fame. I never really paid much attention to his work or abstract art in general. I've always favoured "classical" style art and surrealism.

DISCLAIMER: Though it is not my profession, I am a classicaly trained artist well versed in many styles: realism, surrealism, impressionism, sculpting, sketching and even good old comic book art. I have a lot of respect for artists when I can make out where the artist has held true to artistic methods such as color balance, composition, etc. When I don't see it, I have a difficult time finding any appealing quality to a work. Even though I have been surprised in the past.

I do enjoy the odd piece of abstract work, but it has to appeal to me on certain technical levels such as color balance, "flow" composition and "points of interest". An abstract artist must know the "rules" of good art and be well versed in "conventional" art in order to break out of the convention and create "abstract" art. In simple terms, if you can't draw your own hand in a way that someone else would recognize it on a "mechanical" and realistic manner, then don't attempt to draw it in abstract.

Now on to Jackson Pollock. Standing in front of his artwork I am finally "getting it". While I have not seen any of his work that can be called more "conventional" I do see a lot of structure, color balance and "flow" to his abstarct work. Some pieces really seem to convey a feeling of motion which just breathes life into the work. His art isn't the result of a half assed attempt to fling paint at a canvas, rather it was a methodical and planned venture. I learned that he painted horizontally and not vertically, in that his canvas was laid on to the floor and he hovered over it and painted in "drips". The end results are stunning up close. His "strokes" are very painterly and he manages to avoid covering up his first layers of paint to the canvas with subsequent ones which lead to a formal structure and is the sign that the guy is not a "hack". Kudos to him. I am now a fan. To any other Toronto area folks who are into art, I recommend going to see this exhibit.

Cheers

BW

[Stalebread]

I'm glad you enjoyed Pollock's work. I'm a big fan of abstract expressionsim generally but he has never been one of my favorites. His impact can't be denied, however.

I understand that he is categorized as abstract expressionist but I never really think of his work as abstract. I don't see anything is his work as being "abstracted." Gorky's work or de Kooning's is more abstract. To me Pollock is non-referential or non-objective or even self-referential. I'm making gigantic generalizations here. Do you make any distinction between abstract and non-referential? Are there other artists from this group of painters that you enjoy?

[joeypots]

Rothko, Pollock, and Kline have done it for me for a long time. More recent conceptual stuff leaves me cold, but the post war American abstract expressionists some how move me in a way other painters do not.

For the Aussies, I think one of Pollock's best, Blue Posts, in in a museum down under.

[khomeinist]

If you want to 'get' Pollock, I recommend throwing on some Free Jazz and drinking about six espresso.

That should help.

Pollack's work can be considered 'abstract' in reference to both viewer reaction and artistic intent. As the painting can act as a mirror to both the artist's and viewer's conscious (or sub-conscious) state, the work of art cannot be referred to as 'non-referential.' 'Self-referential' is more accurate but should be situated in an overall social context. Each viewer's subjective reference is independent of the artist's 'intention' (or that of any critic for that matter).

My take on the philosophy of art. Informed by post-structuralism. yadda yadda

[Van55]

Well, I still don't get Pollack. I suppose that it takes an open mind and a trained eye to do so. I hope that I have the former. The latter is truly missing in me.

[khomeinist]

Rothko, Pollock, and Kline have done it for me for a long time. More recent conceptual stuff leaves me cold, but the post war American abstract expressionists some how move me in a way other painters do not.

For the Aussies, I think one of Pollock's best, Blue Posts, in in a museum down under.

I am also a big fan of Rothko and Kline. Kline in particular with his nod to calligraphy.

Anselm Kiefer is probably my favorite contemporary artist. For what its worth.

[Guest rob]

I live 5 mins drive from where his work "blue poles" resides in the National Gallery of Australia.

Besides that... Ive got nothing to contribute to this thread

[Colt45]

As an artistic illiterate, art for me is to a large degree emotional - what / how it makes me feel. I guess you need to know the rules in order

to let them go or break them. In my case, not knowing most keeps them from getting in the way of an emotional response.

[Warren]

Blue Poles was quite controversial at the time.

The government bought it and the Australian people at the time, and some might argue that we are still, a bit ignorant to art in all it's forms.

We couldn't believe that something that looked like a kids fridge painting could cost millions.

I've seen Blue Poles and it's a very imposing piece.

[aes8]

This post is worthless without pics

[docbp87]

Of the group, Mark Rothko has always spoken more to me than any others from the period and style. Something about his work always reminds of of Soviet Suprematism, which I very much enjoy, with the addition of... emotion.

[khomeinist]

Of the group, Mark Rothko has always spoken more to me than any others from the period and style. Something about his work always reminds of of Soviet Suprematism, which I very much enjoy, with the addition of... emotion.

Let's make this thread more useful. Ha. Here is one of my favorite Malevich paintings..... the line to Rothko should be evident. I detect emotion personally......

[khomeinist]

And for those not Down Under....... Blue Poles. Amazing stuff

[khomeinist]

And some Kiefer.... since I mentioned him yesterday

[khomeinist]

One more Kiefer. Resurrexit. Great title.