Jackson Pollock

Pollock’s early work was influenced by the Mexican muralists David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Diego Rivera. After visiting exhibitions of Pablo Picasso and Surrealist Art, his work became more symbolic. Pollock’s first solo show was held at Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of this Century Gallery (in New York) in 1943.

Pollock’s style changed dramatically beginning in 1947. He began painting with his (usually large) canvases placed on the floor, and developed his ‘pour’ technique. He used his brushes as sticks to drip paint, and the brush never touched the canvas. This was an origination of action painting. He changed the Western tradition of using an easel and brush, as well as moved away from use only of the hand and wrist – as he used his whole body to paint. Pollock was dubbed ‘Jack the Dripper’ due to his painting style.

This change in style and technique came from many influences. In the winter of 1947-48, Pollock published a

commentary, called Possibilities, describing his new method: ‘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. This is akin to the method of the Indian sand painters of the West. 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/ Other influences on his ‘pour4 technique include the Mexican muralists mentioned above, and also Surrealist automatism.

When the first set of these paintings was exhibited in 1948 it was a sensation and a sell out. Pollock was able to take on a larger studio building and there produced the series of 6 paintings of 1950 for which he is most renowned. Pollock was profiled

in Time Magazine as ‘the greatest living American artist’ in 1951. His 1952 painting of Blue Poles was sold for $2 million, which was then the highest price paid for a contemporary artwork, when it was bought by the National Gallery of Australia in 1973.

Translate the following sentences into English.
1. Раннее творчество Поллока испытало влияние со стороны мексиканских художников-монументалистов; позднее стало символическим, а еще позднее Поллок стал применять технику налива краски на холст, что означало возникновение направления живописи, использующий технологию разбрызгивания краски на холст.
2. Он изменил западную традицию использования мольберта и кисти, и за стиль живописи его стали называть “Джек-Разбрызгиватель”.
3. При написании картины ему нужно было сопротивление твердой поверхности, чтобы достичь в живописи “чистой гармонии”.
4. Когда была выставлена первая серия его картин, они вызвали сенсацию и были распроданы, после чего он написал свою наиболее знаменитую серию из 6 картин.
5. Поллока называли “величайшим из современных американских художников”, и его картины продавались по самым высоким в то время ценам на произведения современного искусства.
1. Pollock’s early work was influenced by the Mexican muralists, later it became symbolic, and then he developed his ‘pour’ technique, which was an origination of action painting.
2. He changed the Western tradition of using an easel and a brush and was dubbed ‘Jack the Dripper’ due to his painting style.
3. For his painting, he needed the resistance of a hard surface to achieve pure harmony in his painting.
4. When the first set of his pictures was exhibited, there was a sensation and a sell-out, and reproduced his series of 6 pictures which is most renowned.
5. Pollock was named ‘the greatest living American artist’, and his paintings were sold at prices which then were the highest prices for contemporary artworks.

Из пособия “ЕГЭ. Английский язык. Устные темы” Занина Е. Л. (2010, 272с.) – Part two. Additional topics.


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Jackson Pollock