Painting Number 1, 1949
A visual/analytical description
Pollock’s poured patterns on Painting Number 1, 1949 differ from the conventional shapes of the straight lines, triangles and the wide range of other artificial shapes belonging to Euclidean geometry. The poured painting can more accurately be described as organic because the painting in a larger perspective alludes to nature. Euclidean shapes have a smoothness which the painting lacks, rather it consist of patterns that reappear on finer levels that help build up shapes of enormous intricacy (Varnedoe & Karmel, 2001).
A similar example is that of Blue Poles: Number 11, 1952 which has the proportions of size as 210.4cm by 486.8cm (Cernuschi, 1992). Painting Number 1, 1949 is an exceptional example of Pollock’s style of gesture or action painting. Painting Number 1, 1949 illustrates Pollock’s ‘drips,’ or flung paint, which he painted in a rhythmic, undulating style (Riedman, 1995).
By the time Pollock completed Painting Number 1, 1949, he had moved the canvas from the easel onto the floor, allowing him to relate uniformly with all the four sides of the canvas. Pollock had pushed aside the paintbrush a few years earlier and opting to apply paint with non-conventional tools such as sticks and spatulas (Saunders, 2000).
The position of the heavily encrusted paint resulting from the movement of Pollock’s body through space aptly records his routine (Cernuschi, 1992). It is possible for an observer to follow and copy an individual string of paint through its random twists and turns so as to reconstruct the artist’s movement.
The painting as a consequence pulsates with the presence of the artist and echoes with Pollock’s movement as the artist transverses over and across the canvas. Completed in the late 1940s, Painting Number 1, 1949 is an example of the work Pollock produced when he was sober.
Painting Number 1, 1949 is an early illustration of his ‘drips,’ technique for it maintains a tentative eminence due to the fact that the technique was still emerging to Pollock (Naifeh & Smith, 1989). Painting Number 1, 1949 symbolizes the wholesome abstraction Pollock had achieved by the end of the 1940s.
Painting Number 1, 1949 forms an all-over image in which lacks the focal point, thus all parts of the painting bear comparable significance (Saunders, 2000). There is no color which is prioritized; yellow, black, pink, blue and white paints are evenly distributed but the pink and blue paints are more subtle only in the areas that the other colors overlap them.
The absence of a focal point also allows the observer to wholly view the entire painting, denying the observer’s effort to remain perceptive on one particular area of the painting and moreover, the eye perceives the painting as a single unit rather than in segments.
Theme
The theme of Painting Number 1, 1949 as well as other Pollock’s paintings completed in the late 1940s is contemporary self-preoccupations. Pollock used the abstracts to define the way he was thinking at a subconscious level and not his impression of the world (Naifeh & Smith, 1989).
He intentionally allowed the observers of the painting to understand the perception of the artist rather than let the observers comprehend the social perspective of the artist. Pollock therefore used Painting Number 1, 1949 to express the occurrences in his life and mind unlike conventional artists.
Pollock had for a long time been searching for a technique that would defy conventional painting techniques since he felt that conventional techniques did not represent art. His first painting to attempt to break this barrier was Mural in which he vaguely applied the “drip” technique.
Вдохновение Поллока
Пол Джексон Поллок родился в Коди, штат Вайоминг, в 1912 году. Его отец был фермером и часто брал сына с собой в поездки. Благодаря этому молодой Джексон хорошо познакомился с культурой коренных американцев. Это повлияло на творчество мастера, хотя сам он утверждал, что намеренно не имитировал их искусство. Его первые подданные вспоминали работы мексиканских художников Диего Риверы и Хосе Клементе Ороско.
В 1929 году Джексон Поллок учился в Нью-Йорке под руководством Томаса Гарта Бентона. В начале 1930-х годов он работал в стиле регионализма, с преобладанием представлений о жизни Среднего Запада. Одним из ярких представителей этого направления был Грант Вуд с его знаменитой картиной «Американская готика». Поллок тоже любил сюрреализм, где лидером по праву считается Сальвадор Дали.
В ноябре 1939 года в Музее современного искусства в Нью-Йорке прошла важная выставка Пикассо, на которой было собрано 344 произведения, в том числе знаменитая Герника. Выставка заставила Поллока признать выразительную силу европейского модернизма и приступить к созданию нового стиля.
Introduction
Number 5, 1948, is one of the most expensive paintings ever sold (Number 5, 1948, n.d.). The artist, Jackson Pollock, is well-known for his abstract expressionist works that have made a significant contribution not only to the American culture but also to the world’s cultural heritage. Although this artwork appeared in the context of the mid-20th century, it continues to excite the imagination of the present-day generation. One can state that innovative styles spark people’s interest by virtue of their nature since they evoke the most abstruse and disguised feelings, and Number 5, 1948, is an ideal example.
This paper concentrates on the value of Number 5, 1948, in terms of its social and scientific impact. The peculiarities discovered in different epochs are explored. Finally, the conclusion concerning modern views is reached.
Full Fathom Five
- Date created: 1947
- Dimensions: 129.2 x 76.5 centimeters (50 7/8 x 30 1/8″)
- Location: MoMA, New York City, United States
Full Fathom Five was one of the first experimental paintings in which Pollock used his distinctive drip-feeding technique. This is emphasized by the notion that he first prepared the canvas with a brush to produce an underlayer.
Another remarkable fact about this painting is that several elements are included on the surface. Some of these are cigarette butts, thumbtacks, buttons, coins, and a key. They are completely covered in paint and indistinguishable by the naked eye.
Full Fathom Five / Wiki Commons
