Jackson Pollock

Jackson Pollock was an abstract expressionist who was active during the first half of the twentieth century. He is most famous for his drip style paintings, one of which is depicted below.

In Time magazine, in an article titled The Wild Ones, Pollock said the following about his art:

"My painting does not come from the easel. I prefer to tack the unstretched canvas to the hard wall or the floor. I need the resistance of a hard surface. On the floor I am more at ease. I feel nearer, more part of the painting, since this way I can walk around it, work from the four sides and literally be in the painting.

I continue to get further away from the usual painter's tools such as easel, palette, brushes, etc. I prefer sticks, trowels, knives and dripping fluid paint or a heavy impastowith sand, broken glass or other foreign matter added.

When I am in my painting, I'm not aware of what I'm doing. It is only after a sort of 'get acquainted' period that I see what I have been about. I have no fear of making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through. It is only when I lose contact with the painting that the result is a mess. Otherwise there is pure harmony, an easy give and take, and the painting comes out well."

                                      Jackson Pollock 1956 ("The Wild Ones", Time (magazine). 20/02/1956)

(One: 31, 1950  Oil and enamel paint on canvas, 8' 10" x 17' 5-5/8" (The Museum of Modern Art) © 2015 Pollock-Krasner Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York)

What do you think of this painting? What do you think the artist's intention is? What do you make of the colours he used? Why do you think this?