ALBUQUERQUE,
NM – (ANS)- I was sitting with composer Warner Hutchison
recently when he said, “New Mexico State University will be performing my
‘Homage to Jackson Pollock’ [written in 1973] composition sometime this year.”
I thought, How marvelous. Then it
dawned on me: Jackson Pollock would have turned 100 years old on January 28.
Not only is New Mexico State University honoring one of the state’s finest
composers, Warner Hutchison; they are honoring the centennial birth of Pollock.
Pollock’s myth looms large in the
world of art and culture. Born January 28, 1912, Pollock is best remembered as
the guy who splattered and dripped a bunch of paint on a canvas and called it
art. Some cringe at the thought of calling him a great artist. Time Magazine
mockingly deemed him “Jack the Dripper” in an article written in
February 1956.
Yet the reality of his influence
goes much deeper-pointing to the fact that he was an important cultural icon
and fine artist.
Pollock was one of the notable
painters in the field called abstract expressionism. Along with artists such as
Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944), Mark Rothko (1903-1980), Williem de Kooning
(1904-1997), Clyfford Still (1904-1980), and Robert Motherwell (1915-1991), he
was at the forefront of a new movement of art that focused on emotionalism,
non-representational form, and a somewhat nihilistic (dark and melancholy)
philosophy.
Pollock was born in Wyoming, but
grew up in both Arizona and California. It was in the Southwestern portion of
the United States that Pollock came into contact with Native American abstract
forms of art that later influenced his artistic philosophy.
Concerning the influence of Native
American art, Pollock stated in the work My Painting, “I feel nearer, more
a part of the painting, since this way I can walk round it, work from the four
sides and literally be in the painting. This is akin to the methods of the
Indian sand painters of the West.”
Pollock moved to New York and
studied art with famed regionalist, Kansas City, Missouri-based artist, Thomas
Hart Benton.
Pollock developed his own style of
art, saying, “…Look passively and try to receive what the painting has
to offer and not bring a subject matter or preconceived idea of what they are
to be looking for.” In short, Pollock was moving away from figurative
forms (realism) toward “pure painting”-non-representational forms
(abstract).
Sadly, Pollock struggled with
alcoholism his whole life, and died from an alcohol-related car accident in
1956. He was 44.
From a religious (Christian)
standpoint, Pollock is important for several reasons:
First, all creative activity points
back to the original artist, God. The very fact that Pollock was creating
something gives credence to the process of creation itself. Inherent in all
creative acts is the proposition that there is a greater creation and, hence, a
Creator. Biblically, God created the world and infused humanity with the will
and knowledge of creative acts. Taken in a generalist way, creativity can be
seen as a form of praise.
Second, Pollock broke new ground in
art, attempting to seek a deeper meaning to the creative process-a spiritual
nature, if you will. Theologian James McClendon stated that the abstract
expressionists “sought to express the primordial depths human
nature.” McClendon concluded that abstract expressionism can be likened to
“the ‘negative theology’ of the mystics.’”
Third, though Pollock lived a
reclusive and alcoholic-infused life, one cannot help but think the
Presbyterian faith he was reared in did have an influence on him. Maybe the
influence came through the existential thought of Christian philosopher Sören
Kierkegaard and his discussion of the “crises of the human
condition,” whereby the individual person is responsible for finding
meaning and purpose. For Kierkegaard, meaning and purpose are ultimately found
in Christ. To my knowledge, there is no record of Pollock coming to the same
conclusion. Yet one can wonder.
Finally, Pollock is important from a
cultural perspective. His work defines modern art: The highest amount paid for
one of his paintings topped off at 156.8 million for the work, “No. 5,
1948″-even beating Picasso. Though there has been much criticism of his
work, one cannot deny its impact upon our society and the understanding we have
of what constitutes art. Movies (Academy Award winning film Pollock, directed
by Ed Harris), documentaries, book, and yes, exhibits, dot our cultural
landscape-all pointing to the fact that Pollock made his mark on our cultural
map.
So as I sat with composer Warner
Hutchison discussing his musical work dedicated to Jackson Pollock, I thought
to myself, Quite appropriate; one artist of importance tipping his hat to
another.
Maybe it’s time our culture takes a
moment to tip its hats to the birth of an American icon. But let us not forget
to bow our knees to the One who has inspired creativity from the first artistic
act-forming, designing, and creating all that is.
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