Museum of Modern Art tracks the evolution of Jackson Pollock's work

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Museum of Modern Art unveiled a concentrated survey of the work of Jackson Pollock (American, 1912–1956) tracking the evolution of the artist’s work from the 1930s until his 1956 death at the age of 44, Art Daily reports.

The Museum of Modern Art’s Pollock holdings are unparalleled in their breadth and quality, and Jackson Pollock: A Collection Survey, 1934–1954 is drawn entirely from the collection, featuring approximately 50 works representing every phase of the artist’s career and the wide range of materials and techniques that he employed.

Over the course of two decades, Pollock’s work progressed from mythical, primal figures and scenes; to imagery that combines elements of representation and abstraction; to the radical “drip” paintings that mark the climax of his career. With these culminating works, which envelop the viewer through their monumental scale and allover markings, Pollock emerged at the forefront of the post-World War II movement known as Abstract Expressionism. His innovations helped make this the first American art movement to wield international influence. They had an explosive effect on the traditions of painting and opened up new avenues for sculpture and performance art as well.

In addition to One: Number 31, 1950 (1950)—arguably Pollock’s greatest masterpiece and one of his largest canvases—the exhibition also features drawings and exceedingly rare and little-known engravings, lithographs, and screenprints, highlighting an underappreciated side of one of the most important and influential American artists of the 20th century. Bringing these works together underscores the relentless search for new expressive means and the emphasis on experimentation and process that were at the heart of Pollock’s creativity.