The Big WoW!

An exploration into mark making 

SKILLS FOR MAKING

Contemporary and Ancient human expression in the form of Mark Making.

It’s self a form of communication.

The language of..

ART

Ancient art Cueva de las Manos ( Cave of the Hands)Over 9000 years old

The first artist I researched for this project was

EGON SHEILE (1890-1918)

 

 

JACKSON POLLOCK (1912–56)

An american painter from the Abstract expressionist movement.

I love the simplicity of the mark making in Jackson Pollock paintings. Pouring , dripping and splashing paint instinctively.

At a nursery school my daughter painted a Jackson Pollock style painting.
I always loved my daughter’s paintings as they were without any agenda.

I wanted to take some of that innocence into my own pieces . As the painting is based on a memory of being very young.

Pollock had the typical narcissistic personality that seems to be common in many famous artists.

Children according to psychologists must develop a health narcissism , a sense of self as separate in the world before they develop an emphatic side to their personality.

Pollock and many historically famous artists seem to have not transitioned as well into the natural development of their empathy toward others. That need to be special (reinforce the self image) and an addictive nature (Pollock’s alcoholism) seems to be a factor that drives these artists to create outstanding and leading edge artworks in their time.

David Alfaro Siqueiros 1896-1974

In 1936 Pollock went to a workshop exploring the use of liquid paint. Presented by David Alfaro who invented “Accidental painting”. Paintings that are created by pouring paint and simply physics creating the art naturally

Janet Sobel 1894-1968

It is debated that Pollock may have been have been inspired by a Ukrainian American artist Janet Sobel (1894–1968) after visiting her exhibition. She was using the drip method in her paintings. Allegedly Pollock started painting in this style after going to one of her small exhibitions. For various reasons, including managing  her husbands business she left the art scene after the start of some early success. Her work later after many years started to be exhibited again in the 1980’s. Probably because of her link to Pollock.

Click here to watch a talk on Janet Sobel

Lee Krasner 1908-1984

In 1942 Pollock met Lee Krasner in New York. She was a classically trained artist. He married her in 1945. They moved to Long Island where Pollock had a large barn studio. Krasner used an upstairs bedroom as a studio. Thier styles were very similar though Pollocks canvases were very large and Krasners were much smaller. It is not know if if the size of the work was dictated by the workspace they each had or if it was already their preferred size of canvas.

Krasner managed Pollock’s artwork. After his death Krasner was believed to have help start the art market as it is today by holding back Pollocks painting. Due to demand the price of his paintings became astronomical when sold in auction.

Krasner’s painting below. Similar to Pollocks work.