Art & English: Jackson Pollock in ESL/EFL

What is Abstract Art?

Jackson Pollock was an American Abstract Expressionist painter. Nicknamed “Jack the Dripper”, he would literally drip paint (of the most toxic variety) on his canvases in order to create his paintings. He was the first “action painter”, meaning that he would drip, pour, throw and splash his paint onto very large canvases which were often laid flat on the floor of his New York studio. Many say he would literally dance, as though in a trance, as he created his masterpieces. Pollock is widely considered the most challenging and influential American artist of the 20th century.

This youtube video is an interview with Pollock from 1951 with lots of close up footage of him painting and includes many of the same quotes that are found in the book Action Jackson. It’s a good video to watch after reading the book because it gives kids a better idea of what his movements actually looked like as he painted.

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Introducing Kids to Great Artists: Jackson Pollock (SOURCE: piikeastreet.com)

View more SOURCE: theartstory.org

theartstory.org

READ ABOUT LEE KRASNER

Jackson Pollock is an excellent hypertext essay from the WebMuseum that features description of his style, including possible sources of his inspiration; discussion of his role in twentieth-century American art; several paintings; and detailed commentary. (SOURCE: WebMuseum-ibiblio.org )

READ TIMELINE (SOURCE: novaonline.nvcc.edu)

Jackson Pollock Biography
Painter (1912–1956) (SOURCE: biography.com)- Watch video

“On the floor I am more at ease. I feel nearer, more a part of the painting, since this way I can walk around it, work from the four sides and literally be in the painting.” – Jackson Pollock (1912-1956), on drip painting. (SOURCE: findagrave.com)

“I need for things to make sense and art doesn’t follow rules. In fact the rule is that there are no rules. If I have to stand and look at a piece of art and try and find meaning in it, it has failed by my standards. If I have to think about anything to ‘get’ it, it’s failed.”
(SOURCE: frimminjimbits.blogspot.com)

About Jackson Pollock (kinderart.com)

“Pollock’s style of painting is called Abstract Expressionism. Artists who paint this way are not interested in making pictures that look real. They care more about expressing their feelings and emotions, and to do this, they use the art elements of color, value, shape, line, and texture as ends in themselves. While Pollock was interested in the finished product or the art, he thought the process of making the painting was an important part of his work, too. By creating action paintings, the artist felt that he actually became a part of the painting.”

SOURCE: kid-at-art.com

Action Painting defined

Jackson Pollock- Lavender Mist

“The secret of success is… to be fully awake to everything about you.”

“Well Jack I was glad to learn how you felt about your summer’s work & your coming school year. The secret of success is concentrating interest in life, interest in sports and good times, interest in your studies, interest in your fellow students, interest in the small things of nature, insects, birds, flowers, leaves, etc. In other words to be fully awake to everything about you & the more you learn the more you can appreciate & get a full measure of joy & happiness out of life.” Read article (SOURCE: brainpickings.org)

Jackson Pollock’s father, LeRoy