The Natural Appeal of Jackson Pollock's Drip Paintings

Pollock’s drip painting, in which he trails paint on a canvas laid upon the floor, is seemingly random and could arguably be enacted by anyone. Why then does his work resonate with the public? His work has been scrutinised by scientists and art historians in an attempt to understand this allure. Recent studies 1 have revealed a connection between Pollock’s techniques and the processes by which repetitive patterns, known as fractals, evolve in nature. Pollock produces these natural patterns through his dynamic movement over the horizontal surface of the canvas and the associated dripping of the paint, which together produce organic images with which we are inherently programmed to connect. As the artwork ‘One: Number 31’ illustrates, there is no obvious focal point nor apparent pattern to entice the viewer. It is the accumulation of Pollock’s repetitive technique that, by capturing fundamental biological design, is responsible for the wide appeal of his seemingly random work.

🙊

Use the Map to Set the Centre

Select Collection Items

Use the map to populate these fields

Use the map to populate these fields

Use the map to populate these fields

Use the map to populate these fields

Use the map to populate these fields

Use the map to populate these fields

Use the map to populate these fields

Add symbols such as arrowheads

Use the map to populate these fields

Use the map to populate these fields

Use the map to populate these fields

404

500

Enter the details for the personality

Nationality

Lifespan

Birth

Death

🙊