Timeline Description: Jackson Pollock was an American painter. He is considered an abstract artist who is most known for his drip paintings.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| January 28, 1912 | Jackson Pollock is born in Cody, Wyoming On January 28, 1912, Jackson Pollock was born to Stella Ray and LeRoy Pollock. His parents were of Irish and Scottish-Irish descent respectively. LeRoy Pollock was a farmer and later a land surveyor. Jackson grew up in Arizona and California. |
| 1930 | Jackson Pollock moves to New York City In 1930, Jackson moved with his brother to New York City. While there, he studied underneath Thomas Hart Benton at the Art Students League, an art school known for catering to both amateurs and professionals. |
| 1938 | Jackson Pollock works for the WPA Federal Art Project (1938 to 1942). From 1938 to 1942 during the Great Depression, Jackson worked for the WPA Federal Art Project. It was a visual arts program that supported artists such as Pollock as part of New Deal Works Progress Administration Federal One Program. |
| 1938 | Pollock undergoes Jungian therapy.(1938 to 1942) From 1938 to 1942, Jackson Pollock underwent Jungian therapy to help him deal with his alcoholism. He suffered from alcoholism his entire adult life. |
| July 1943 | Pollock is commissioned to create a mural. In July 1943, Jackson Pollock was commissioned by Peggy Guggenheim to create a mural for her townhome. When the art critic Clement Greenberg saw it for the first time, he declared Pollock "The greatest painter this country has produced." |
| October 1945 | Jackson Pollock marries. In October 1945, Pollock married fellow artist Lee Krasner. Lee Krasner had also worked at the WPA Federal Art Project and she was also an abstract painter. |
| November 1945 | Pollock and his wife move to Long Island, New York. In November 1945, Pollock and his new wife bought a farm house and moved to Long Island, New York. Pollock converted the barn into his studio where he perfected his "drip painting" technique that became his trademark. |
| 1940 | (Sometime in 1940's) Jackson Pollock observes Indian sand painting. Sometime during the 1940's Pollock observed Indian Sand Painting.= This changed his method of painting. He began putting his canvas on the floor and used tools such as sticks, hardened brushes, and basting syringes. He stated this made him feel more a part of the painting. |
| 1947 | ( From 1947 to 1950 ) Jackson Pollock was immersed in his "drip period." From 1947 to 1950, Pollock continued to use his "drip painting" technique. It brought him considerable fame. |
| August 8, 1949 | Pollock received a four page spread in Life Magazine. At the height of his popularity, Pollock abandoned his drip painting technique all together. |
| 1955 | Jackson Pollock painted final two paintings. After abandoning the drip technique, Pollock began painting with much darker colors including black and often used unprimed canvases. He later returned to including color which was part of his final two paintings in 1955, Scent and Search. |
| 1956 | Jackson Pollock did not paint at all. During the year of 1956, Pollock did not paint but rather took to sculpting. He worked exclusively for Tony Smith. He constructed sculptures out of wire, gauze, and plaster. |
| August 11, 1956 | Jackson Pollock died. At approximately 10:00 pm on August 11, 1956, Pollock crashed his car within one mile of his home while under the influence of alcohol. After his death, Pollock's wife maintained his estate and reputation until she died in 1984. |