Chronology

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. Jackson grew up in Arizona and California. LeRoy Pollock was a farmer and later a land surveyor.

1930

Jackson Pollock moves to New York City In 1930, Jackson moved with his brother to New York City. Both studied underneath Thomas Hart Benton at the Art Students League.

1938 - 1942

Jackson Pollock works for the WPA Federal Art Project. 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 - 1942

Pollock undergoes Jungian therapy. 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 declared “The greatest painter this country has produced.”after art critic Clement Greenberg saw the mural Pollock had painted for Peggy Guggenheim’s townhome.

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

Jackson Pollock observes Indian sand painting. Sometime during the 1940's Pollock became fascinated with Indian Sand Painting. This influence changed his art as he began painting his pictures on the floor and and used different objects to drip paint onto his canvas, including sticks, hardened brushes, and basting syringes. He said it made him more of the painting.

1947

Jackson Pollock’s "drip period." During this period Pollock was best known for his "drip painting" technique. It brought him considerable fame.

August 8, 1949

Pollock received a four page spread in Life Magazine. Just when he gained notoriety within the New York art circles, 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. 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.