Happy Birthday Jackson Pollock!

"Happy Birthday Jackson Pollock (1912 – 1956)! The pioneer of Abstract Expressionism, Pollock challenged the artistic tradition of using an easel and brush by pouring and dripping paint onto canvases, creating groundbreaking works with a childlike quality which belied their stunning complexity and sophistication. Influenced by Picasso, Miró, and the Surrealists, Pollock revolutionized a style of painting in which the work has no identifiable parts or point of emphasis (abandoning the traditional idea of composition), painted with a stream-of-consciousness technique called psychic automatism. Driven by inner torment which compelled him to paint, Pollock attached large canvases to the floor, densely pouring, dripping and flinging paint (sometimes embedded with sand or glass) onto them with intense physical movement. This allover manner of Action painting was believed by artists and critics alike to result in a direct expression of the unconscious moods of the artist, leaving interpretation of the work created subject to widely varying interpretations. More than half a century after his death, Pollock's art continues to intrigue and inspire." ~Art.com