Statements and Interviews

Jackson Pollock (1912 – 1956) was a major figure on the international art scene. His artworks are associated with the New York School, belonging to the abstract expressionist movement. Pollock completely changed the course of history by splashing a bucket of paint right into the face of the general public. He discovered the technique of action painting and the delight a painter experiences during the actual act of painting, arising from the inner dynamics of the process as well as other qualities of paint such as thickness and force with which it hits the canvas when applied with verve. His involvement in painting was very deep, he participated on the process with every single cell of his body and he invested incredible amounts of spiritual and physical energy into it. Pollock’s radical elements of painting such as total refusal of palette and a lack of traditional perspective made his works an important milestone in international art after the world wars. Due to his lifestyle he did not leave any complete collection of texts. This anthology is based on several of his own texts and interviews with William Wright and Lee Krasner, Alex Horn’s and Donald Judd’s recollections and an interview with his art dealer, Betty Parsons, which has been included for a better understanding of the context. All the texts are an exciting testimony of both Pollock’s work and his outlook on life as well as the nature of art as such.