Jackson Pollock

Jackson Pollock was born Paul Jackson Pollock on January 28, 1912, in Cody, Wyoming. He grew up in Arizona and California before moving to New York City in 1930 to study at the Art Students League under Thomas Hart Benton. Benton's regionalist style initially influenced Pollock, though he would later move far from his teacher's representational approach.

In the 1940s, Pollock developed his signature "drip painting" technique, where he would lay canvases on the floor and pour, drip, and splash paint from above using sticks, brushes, and other implements. This method allowed him to work from all sides of the canvas and became central to the Abstract Expressionist movement. His large-scale works from this period, including "Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist)" and "Autumn Rhythm," established him as a leading figure in American art.

Pollock's work gained significant attention through exhibitions at Peggy Guggenheim's Art of This Century gallery and later at Sidney Janis Gallery. His innovative techniques and the physical nature of his painting process challenged traditional notions of easel painting. Life magazine famously asked in 1949, "Is he the greatest living painter in the United States?" bringing him widespread public recognition.

Pollock struggled with alcoholism throughout his life, which affected both his personal relationships and his artistic output. He died in a car accident on August 11, 1956, in East Hampton, New York, at age 44. His influence on subsequent generations of artists and his role in establishing New York as a center of the art world secured his place as one of the most important American artists of the 20th century.