1985 words
Annotated Bibliography
Dalirian, Zohreh, Alienation in Edward Hopper's and Jackson Pollock's Paintings (Wichita, Kan.: Wichita State University, 2010.
In this published dissertation, Zohreh Dalirian compares Pollock’s alienation to that of Edward Hopper as expressed through their different artworks. He views Pollock’s art as a metaphor for his life. The alienation captured in his artwork can be used to explain his psychological characteristics. This work may be used to explore the link between artistic expression and psychology.
Fisher, K, "Expressing The Age: How The Painting Of Jackson Pollock Displayed The Political Culture Of Abstract Expressionism.", Philogia, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2010, pp.1-4
In his article, Fisher looks at the political culture revealed in abstract expressionism in Pollock’s artistic style. He relies on interviews and essays to argue on how Pollock’s art expresses the aims and heritage of the movement. He eventually holds that Pollock’s work is steeped in abstract expressionism and makes an antipolitical comment, urging man to revert to his primal past.
Lee, Eun-Mi, and Kang-Hee Lee, "Proposal Of Jackson Pollock’s Art Therapy Recommendation System For Depression", International Journal of Software Engineering and Its Applications, Vol. 9, No. 1, 2015, pp.75-84 <http://dx.doi.org/10.14257/ijseia.2015.9.10.08>
Lee and Lee explore Pollock’s art as a medium in art therapy. They propose an artificial system for art therapy recommendation that customizes art therapy for patients. The system analyzes factors from a questionnaire answered by patients and suggests the most suitable art therapy. This approach underpins future exploration of Pollock’s work in the context of art therapy.
Molyneux, J, "Chance And Serendipity: Locating The Sublime", Experts.Griffith.Edu, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2016, pp.1-10
Joan Molyneux, in her journal article, makes the claim that Pollock’s drip method of painting may be better understood by through the lenses of theories of serendipity and not a chance. Undoubtedly, Molyneux’s study provides a suitable methodological underpinning that is applicable for further research into serendipity in contemporary art practice.
O'Connor, Francis V., "Hans Namuth's Photographs of Jackson Pollock As Art Historical Documentation", Art Journal, Vol. 39, 1979, pp.48, <http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/776327>
In his journal article, Francis O’Connor explores a photographic account of Jackson Pollock to find out more about his painting techniques. He highlights Pollock’s techniques such as dripping and its many variations. He describes the films that show how Pollock spread paint over the horizontally-placed canvas. He states that Pollock’s art was a correspondence of fate, fact, and chance and reaffirms unity at the basis of all authentic artwork.
Rushing, J, "Ritual And Myth: Native American Culture And Abstract Expressionism",Fischinger Archive, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2016, pp. 273-295
In his essay, Jackson Rushing explores Jackson Pollock’s work and categorizes it as part of the abstract expressionism movement. He further explores the influence of Native American art to this movement as a response to the trends in intellectual life during the 1930s and 1940s. He also notes that there was a spiritual crisis heightened by fascism and the failure of modernism to create political and social utopia.
Soussloff, Catherine M., "Jackson Pollock's Post-Ritual Performance: Memories Arrested In Space", TDR/The Drama Review, Vol. 48, No. 1, 2004, pp.60-78 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/105420404772990673>
Soussloff in her journal article examines the meaning and role of ritual, myth, and performance in Jackson Pollock’s abstract art. She indicates that it is the unconscious ideas in one’s mind that are the most active. She views Pollock’s art as a manifestation of this idea. The artist’s interest in Jungian philosophy, Native American art, and symbolism, according to Soussloff, underline Pollock interest in and influence by ritual
Taylor, Richard P., "Order in Pollock's Chaos", Sci Am, 287. 2002, pp. 116-121 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican1202-116>
In his article in the Scientific American, Richard Taylor highlights how computer analysis is being used to explain the appeal of Pollock’s paintings. He explores Pollock’s drips and swirls in his famous painting, “Blue Poles,” which are in the form of fractal patterns similar to those created in nature by clouds, trees, and coastlines. This investigation sets the stage for further explorations into the role of Pollock’s work in fractal-based science.
Taylor, Richard P., Branka Spehar, Paul Van Donkelaar, and Caroline M. Hagerhall, "Perceptual And Physiological Responses To Jackson Pollock's Fractals", Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 5 (2011) <http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2011.00060>
In their journal article, Taylor and colleagues investigate whether the Fractals in Pollock’s work, such as in the “Blue Poles” painting, can be used to explain the long-term appeal of his work. They examine 10-years-worth of human responses to fractals and investigate factors such as visual preference, eye tracking, and skin conductance. This work could have a bearing on the understanding of human perception and psychology.
Valliere, James T., "The EL Greco Influence On Jackson Pollock's Early Works", Art Journal, vol 24, No. 1, 1964, pp.6-9 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00043249.1964.10794566>
Valliere explores the influences of El Greco on the early works of Pollock. He indicates that lack of proper research on Pollock’s art has made his work be narrowed down in terms of influence. Valliere explores the early paintings and drawings of the artist and underlines Renaissance influences in his work.
Understanding Jackson Pollock
Born in 1912 in the United States, Jackson Pollock was an influential figure in the abstract expressionist movement. The majority of his work emerged in the post-World War I era, rising particularly in the 1930s and 1940s. Pollock produced “Blue poles” in the post-war era during a time of great technological advancement and emergence of the United States as a superpower. “Blue Poles,” one of Pollock’s last artworks, was produced in 1952.
“Blue Poles” is considered a late work because Pollock was reevaluating his drip style and introducing a vertical element to it through the vertical poles. Although “Blue Poles” bears Pollock’s hallmark drip style, it departs from the approach he had used for a long time and could be said to be a metaphorical “end.”
Jackson Pollock’s style of painting is known as the “drip style.” This style involved pouring constant streams of paint onto a horizontal canvas to produce unique trajectories of paint. He began “Blue Poles” by painting the canvas with black primer before splattering it in bright colors such as yellow, orange, and silver. Pollock then layered long pieces of wood with dark blue paint and dropped them over the canvas to create the “poles.” The base and neutral colors like orange, white, green and yellow put emphasis on the dark blue-colored poles, adding rhythm and pattern in the uneven splatters. This painting is significant because it represents a departure from his earlier pure drip style into a mixture of his drip style and inclusion of a vertical element represented by the vertical poles.
Literature Review
This literature review highlights three major themes/ issues. These themes include Jackson Pollock’s influences, the spontaneity of “Blue Poles,” and how “Blue poles” may be employed in the field of psychology and therapy. The first theme is Pollock’s influences and his membership in the abstract expressionist movement that lasted between the 1930s and 1950s. For example, Kyle Fisher uses interviews and essays to show how Pollock’s work underlines the aims and heritage of the movement. His work shows great spontaneity and emotional intensity. It has the quality of being anarchic, rebellious and idiosyncratic. Pollock seemed to be drawing on his subconscious to draw inspiration for his work. This thinking is supported by Catherine Soussloff in her article. She claims that the unconscious ideas are often the most active in art. Perhaps Pollock’s work was also influenced by his apolitical and purist ideals.
The second prevalent theme from literature concerns the spontaneous and serendipitous nature of Pollock’s “Blue Poles.” “Blue Poles” mimics nature in the development of fractals. Fractals are evident in elements of nature such as clouds, coastlines, and trees. Perhaps Pollock’s obsession with spontaneous art could be explained by his love for fractals. More importantly, fractals may be used to explain the long-term appeal of his work. Research supports the notion that the success of Pollock’s art lies not in its beauty, but in its chaos. The significance of fractals in the analysis of “Blue Poles” is that they can be used to explain this painting’s appeal. The natural aspect in his drip style of painting is that it involves the natural flow of paint, forming spontaneous designs that mimic nature. Taylor and colleagues attempt to explore the physiological responses to Pollock’s work and credit his success on significant works such as “Blue Poles” to his application of nature’s patterns known as fractals. The key to understanding “Blue Poles” lies in examining its relationship to nature.
The third issue that emerges from the literature on Jackson Pollock’s “Blue Poles” is the relationship between the artwork and the field of psychology and therapy. Many researchers reveal the therapeutic quality of Pollock’s art. His work has been used as a basis for the development of a therapy recommendation system. One gets the soothing feeling when looking at Pollock’s “Blue Poles” because of its sense of natural movement that mimics that of the wind, clouds, tides and swaying trees. The soothing feeling from Pollock’s art been explored for its therapeutic properties in various researches. Perhaps Pollock adopted this style because of his personal alienation. His work is a metaphor for his life because he was always alienated and chose to work alone for long hours within the confines of his studio. His work can be used to explore the relationship between artistic expression and psychology.
Bibliography
Dalirian, Zohreh, Alienation in Edward Hopper's and Jackson Pollock's Paintings (Wichita, Kan.: Wichita State University, 2010.
Fisher, K, "Expressing The Age: How The Painting Of Jackson Pollock Displayed The Political Culture Of Abstract Expressionism.", Philogia, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2010, pp.1-4
Lee, Eun-Mi, and Kang-Hee Lee, "Proposal Of Jackson Pollock’s Art Therapy Recommendation System For Depression", International Journal of Software Engineering and Its Applications, Vol. 9, No. 1, 2015, pp.75-84 <http://dx.doi.org/10.14257/ijseia.2015.9.10.08>
Molyneux, J, "Chance and Serendipity: Locating The Sublime", Experts.Griffith.Edu, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2016, pp.1-10
Naifeh, Steven, and Gregory White Smith, Jackson Pollock, An American Saga. - New York, 1989 New York: C.N. Potter, 1989
Nga.gov.au, "Jackson Pollock – Before Blue Poles", Nga.gov.au, 2016 <http://nga.gov.au/Pollock/> [accessed 7 April 2016]
O'Connor, Francis V., "Hans Namuth's Photographs Of Jackson Pollock As Art Historical Documentation", Art Journal, Vol. 39, 1979, pp.48, <http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/776327>
Ouellette, Jennifer, "Pollock's Fractals | Discovermagazine.Com", Discover Magazine, 2001 <http://discovermagazine.com/2001/nov/featpollock> [accessed 7 April 2016]
Rushing, J, "Ritual And Myth: Native American Culture And Abstract Expressionism",Fischinger Archive, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2016, pp. 273-295
Siedell, Daniel A., "The Quest For The Historical Abstract Expressionism", The Journal of Aesthetic Education, Vol. 44, No. 1. 2010, pp. 107-121 http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/jae.0.0068
Soussloff, Catherine M., "Jackson Pollock's Post-Ritual Performance: Memories Arrested In Space", TDR/The Drama Review, Vol. 48, No. 1, 2004, pp.60-78 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/105420404772990673>
Taylor, Richard P., "Order In Pollock's Chaos", Sci Am, 287. 2002, pp. 116-121 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican1202-116>
Taylor, Richard P., Branka Spehar, Paul Van Donkelaar, and Caroline M. Hagerhall, "Perceptual And Physiological Responses To Jackson Pollock's Fractals", Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 5 (2011) <http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2011.00060>
Valliere, James T., "The EL Greco Influence On Jackson Pollock's Early Works", Art Journal, vol 24, No. 1, 1964, pp.6-9 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00043249.1964.10794566>
