Jackson Pollock 1950 Autumn Rhythm (Number 30). Enamel on canvas; 105” x 207”
Jackson Pollock was a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement and he was widely known for his "drip technique", which is what he used in this painting.
He was introduced to liquid paint in 1936 and learned many pouring techniques. By 1940 he had developed many techniques and one later on becoming recognized as the drip technique.
Jackson dealt with alcoholism and as a way to treat it he underwent Jungian psychotherapy where his doctor would engage with him by encouraging him to use his art to help. Later on in Jackson's art you can notice Jungian concepts and archetypes expressed in his paintings.
In 1947 he created his first drip painting and by 1950 when he created Autumn Rhythm, a nonrepresentational painting, he was at the height of his talent.
While composing this painting he poured, dripped, flicked, and splattered paint in very unorthodox means. He also used anything but traditional painter's tools (knives, trowel, and sticks) when making up the dense, lyrical compositions of this painting.
Comparing to the way I looked at the art at first to now I would say that I think of it differently. At first I just thought of how the colors resembled nature and what you would think of for fall. After doing research on this painting I can see how Jackson used the tools to create it. I notice how the knives and the trowel make up an edgy, heavier tone of the composition and the sticks could make up a lighter tone to the composition of the painting. Prior to my research, I looked at the canvas as something that was random and didn't have any depth; whereas now I can see the control Jackson had in every angle while creating this painting and see the depth that's created by the techniques and tools he used.
