Jackson Pollock was an American painter born in 1912 who helped develop abstract expressionism. He started drinking at a young age and explored different styles like regionalism and surrealism before developing his signature technique of dripping and splattering paint across large canvases. Pollock's abstract paintings were influenced by his struggles with alcoholism during the Great Depression and often contained black, white, and evenly dispersed colors across the entire canvas.

1. Jackson Pollock By Nate Giess

2. Vital Statistics Born January 28 th , 1912 Died August 11 th , 1956 Male White, American

3. Personal Background Started drinking age 15, warped art even in young years when it could be recognized as a landscape Went to New York to study under Thomas Hart Benton, who taught him to focus on the journey, and to liberally use paint Developed romantic regionalism style in NY Peggy Guggenheim finds his work promising and begins to pay him a monthly stipend Meets his future wife, who is also a painter

4. Key Historical Events Surrealism began to move him away from landscapes and more into colorful paintings still done with a brush Abstract expressionism made him more spontaneous and paint automatically, which is subconsciously Great Depression combined with alcohol made many of his paintings very depressed and dark, some grotesque and disturbing

5. Stylistic Traits Splatters and drips paint Always has black and white in paintings, regardless of other colors included Paint and colors are evenly dispersed throughout the whole canvas Numbers paintings

6. Stylistic Traits Splatters and drips paint Always has black and white in paintings, regardless of other colors included Paint and colors are evenly dispersed throughout the whole canvas Numbers paintings Number 8, 1949

7. Stylistic Traits Splatters and drips paint Always has black and white in paintings, regardless of other colors included Paint and colors are evenly dispersed throughout the whole canvas Numbers paintings One: Number 31

8. Questions?