"Jackson Pollock: A Collection Survey, 1934 - 1954" at MoMA offers a concise but detailed survey of the work of Jackson Pollock (American, 1912–1956), pulled from the art museum's collection. The exhibition tracks Pollock's artistic evolution from the 1930s and early 1940s, when he made loosely figurative images based on mythical or primeval themes, to the late 1940s and early 1950s, when he pioneered the radical abstractions for which he is best known by pouring and dripping paint onto canvas or paper.
The collection survey includes around 50 artworks including painting, drawing and prints that are held in the Museum of Modern Art's collection. The exhibition includes One: Number 31, 1950 (1950), arguably Pollock’s greatest masterpiece, and one of his largest canvases.
Also presented are rare and little-known engravings, lithographs, screenprints and drawings. The exhibition's inclusion of a range of materials and techniques, coupled with works made through traditional and unorthodox methods, help reveals the breath of Pollock's creativity and the emphasis Pollock placed on process and experimentation.
Centering on 1934 - 1954, Pollock’s work moved from mythical, primal figures and scenes, to imagery that combines elements of representation and abstraction, to the “drip” paintings that Pollock is now known for.
The abstract drip paintings were made during the climax of his career and pushed Pollock to the forefront of Abstract Expressionism--the first American art movement to wield international influence. Pollock's drip paintings had an explosive effect on the traditions of painting and opened up new avenues for sculpture and performance art.
Made on a monumental scale, the paintings envelop the viewer from both their sheer size and the extensive expressive markings that make up the art work.
"Jackson Pollock: A Collection Survey, 1934 - 1954" is organized by Starr Figura, Curator, with Hillary Reder, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Drawings and Prints, Museum of Modern Art.
.
"Number 1A, 1948" by Jackson Pollock, 1948. Oil and enamel paint on canvas, 68" x 8’ 8." The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Purchase, 1950. © 2015 Pollock-Krasner Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
.
"The She-Wolf" by Jackson Pollock, 1943. Oil, gouache, and plaster on canvas, 41 7/8 x 67 inches. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Purchase, 1944. © 2015 Pollock-Krasner Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
.
________________________________
BASIC FACTS: "Jackson Pollock: A Collection Survey, 1934–1954" remains on view through March 13, 2016. MoMA is located at 11 W 53 Street, New York, NY 10019. www.moma.org.
________________________________
Copyright 2015 Hamptons Art Hub LLC. All rights reserved.