A polarizing persona in the art world, Jackson Pollock, called “Jack the Dripper” by some, figured largely in the Abstract Expressionist movement in America.  His work  is such of the “love it” or “hate it” variety and it can often strike a chord with those who least expect it.

I remember taking a basic Art Appreciation class early on in college, with a good friend from high school.  Said friend was very conservative in most aspects and usually preferred the more realistic artwork we studied– but she loved Pollock’s work.  There was just something about it that she responded to.

Pollock’s process, referred to as “action painting”, involved several aspects that were innovative at the time– Pollock laid his canvases unstretched out on the floor, instead of stretched on an easel, utilizing household paints instead of more traditional oils and instead of brushing the paint on, dipped whatever was on hand into the paint and then slashed  & dripped it onto the canvas.

I remember being intrigued by Pollock and his work, but it wasn’t until I saw one of his pieces up close & personal, in an Abstract Expressionist exhibition at the Cummer Museum in Jacksonville, that I truly became a fan.  Seeing the monumental scale of the work, the depth of the paint and being able to recognize that yes, there truly was a method to his madness in all those drips and splatters, sealed the deal for me.