His most famous painting – Number 1 (Lavender Mist) – Jackson Pollock
Website design By BotEap.comAmerican painter Jackson Pollock was a pioneer of ‘Abstract Expressionism’. He painted his groundbreaking work, “Number 1 (Lavender Mist)”, in 1950, on a huge 7’3″ x 9’10” canvas, using an innovative ‘Drip’ painting style. “Number 1 (Lavender Mist)” is a mesmerizing explosion of colours, such as light blue, dusty pink, grey, white and black, which when combined impart a lavender hue. Therefore, art critic Clement Greenberg gave it the name “Lavender Mist”.
Website design By BotEap.comThere is a distinct absence of any subject or context in the painting. Jackson Pollock intended viewers to decipher the painting based on their own subconscious. In harmony, Pollock simply numbered his painting instead of naming it, because he wanted his work to be seen without preconceptions. “Number 1 (Lavender Mist)” looks like an intricate web of colors, violently scattered on the canvas. Pollock simply placed the canvas on the floor and then randomly spilled and splattered paint everywhere. He walked all over the canvas as he instinctively worked on the pattern.
Website design By BotEap.comDue to the gestural nature of his painting style, he was called an ‘action painter’. He used his hands, brushes, sticks, knives, or even palettes to manipulate the dripping colors. Pollack claimed that there was no accident in his painting and that the irregular spiraling weave of colors created by the splashes of paint had a controlled rhythm. There are multiple handprints on the upper edges of the painting, however it is not known if they serve a purpose. Pollock used enamel house paint for “Number 1 (Lavender Mist)” as he found its consistency to be smoother and easier to work with, compared to the thickness of oil paint.
Website design By BotEap.comThe art world received Jackson’s “Number 1 (Lavender Mist)” with mixed feelings. Various art lovers adored Pollock’s work, while some critics simply dismissed it as a sick joke. At a glance, “Number 1 (Lavender Mist)” may seem like just a piece of granite, but when carefully observed, the powerful chaos of colors arouses subconscious feelings. The painting found many interpretations. Some people felt that the painting looked like a photograph of an astronomical view of the galaxies. There was a disputed opinion that Pollock had been thinking of a nuclear holocaust while he was painting “Number 1 (Lavender Mist)” and had depicted an aerial view of a destroyed city.
Website design By BotEap.comJackson Pollock perfected the technique of channeling his spontaneous energy with his subconscious mood to manipulate paint and create the extraordinary and inimitable “Number 1 (Lavender Mist)”. The painting is currently in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.