Jackson Pollock's Creativity - 92/Y Tribeca

The lecture on Pollock's creativty was given by Helen Harrison, Dir. of the Pollock-Krasner House and former NYT Art Critique.  This year marks the 100th anniversary of Pollock's birth.  I was curious to learn what led up to his emergence as the foremost Abstract Expressionist painter.  Jackson was the youngest of 5 boys, in an itinerant family which moved constantly to various rural towns in western states. Jackson was drawn to Native American Art which he incorporated into his early works.  Jackson studied art in LA @ a technical arts school where he befriended classmate, Phillip Goldman; later Guston.  In CA Jackson saw a large mural by Orozco whose large dimension made a major impact on him.  Moving to NYC to continue his art studies, he was mentored by Thomas Benton, although Jackson discarded Benton's use of story telling in paintings.  The MOMA became a teaching ground for Jackson where he admired the works of Picasso & Siqueiros.  Jackson also met & married artist Lee Krasner, who greatly helped to advance his career. Pollock died in a fatal car crash in '56 while driving with his mistress and her girlfriend who was also killed.  Pollock's sole heir Krasner, retained his entire estate.  Pollock believed, "life & work are one, and one can't be understood without the other."