Jack the Dripper

Author's Note: For my art class, we were required to do an artist research project on an artist of our choice. Mrs. Carrol also encouraged us to make it different, and be useful for two classes. She gave us the idea of our language arts blog, so I decided to post my research on my blog.

Paul Jackson Pollock
Allie Hohmann 2B

Jackson Pollock was born Paul Jackson Pollock into a working class family with five sons in Cody, Wyoming on January 28, 1912. Unfortunately, Jackson's life ended short when he was 44 years old, on August 11, 1956 due to an alcohol related single car crash. Pollock was named, "Jack the Dripper," because of his new and creative art pieces. His unique way of painting is better known as splatter painting--dipping your paint in the paint can and dripping or splattering it all onto the canvas by flicking your wrist. Pollock was well known for the dimension to his art work made by the multiple layers of paint on top of each other. To make his different paintings, Jackson simply used paint brushes or sticks, paint, and large canvases that were laid on the floor of his barn.


Jackson Pollock was just one of the many artists involved in the Abstract Impressionism movement. This movement was spontaneous and defined as taking what you feel on the inside, your emotions, and putting them down on the paper in an unrecognizable fashion. Personally, I love Jackson Pollock's art because I love the concept of abstract, the spatter paint style, and the idea of putting your emotions on the paper. Although I love his concept, I would use brighter and happier colors to express myself. When Jackson Pollock was a child, his parents died within a year of each other, and Jackson was soon adopted by his neighbors. As a high school student, Jackson was expelled, and later enrolled into Manual Arts School, which, he also got expelled from. On August 8, 1949 a four page spread in Life Magazine asked, "Is he the greatest living painter in the United States?" After he became famous from his drip style, Pollock abruptly abandoned his style. After viewers were searching for representational elements in his work, Pollock decided to number his paintings instead of naming them.

Favorite Quote: "It doesn't matter how the paint is put on, as long as something is said."