The first in-person exposure I had to Jackson Pollock was in my junior year of high school. My art class took a class trip to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, where there was a special Chinese exhibit. The focus of this exhibit was sumi-e, so I and the rest of my class were rather surprised when we turned a corner and saw a Jackson Pollock work much like the one pictured below (Number 1, 1950).
What was even more surprising was that the MFA chose to mount it horizontally, so the viewers were looking down on the flat painting. As our tour guide explained, however, this was to emphasize the connection between the methods of Chinese painting and Pollock's work. Pollock systematically worked in layers, planning out what order he would place the colors in, and what spaces he would fill with each color.
Part of what I like about Pollock's work stems from having this knowledge. Upon first glance, Pollock's work looks like splatter paint, something I could do at summer camp. It appears chaotic and disorganized, with no real focus. Understanding that there is a process behind each work allows me a greater appreciation, taking notice of the negative spaces and color palette. While I would not necessarily choose to emulate this style of work, I think Jackson Pollock is one of those artists that emphasizes the importance of intention and forethought, which are two things that I can use.
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