Ever since the concept of art was first introduced to the world, people have been trying to replicate things exactly as they see them. That is, until about 100 years ago when artists began to depict things in a style that would later be known as abstraction, a style of art that seeks to interpret the world based on people’s emotions rather than what they see. In 1947, Jackson Pollock revolutionized the abstract art scene, causing so much controversy that his fame still endures in the modern-day. At its core, abstract art is an expression of emotions, a representation of true freedom and unfiltered declaration.
Abstraction is a style of art which attempts to represent the world around us through a psychological viewpoint, rather than just what we see. It is a style that gives the artist complete and unhindered freedom to paint however they desire. According to some of the pioneers of abstract art, it is within this freedom that the true essence of art is exposed; it is something that is meant to cause the viewer to feel something‒ that “something” depends entirely on the viewer. That freedom of thought is partly why many abstract pieces oftentimes do not have names, and when they do, they are often ambiguous. The artists don’t want to tell the viewer what to interpret from their artwork; rather, they want the viewer to come up with an idea of what it represents on their own. This thought process can be compared to earlier forms of art, namely, realism and hyperrealism; these two art styles seek to represent something (an object or a person) as accurately as possible in order to leave no room for other interpretations of what the subject could be. Despite the controversy that surrounded abstraction when it was first introduced, it has proven to be one of the fastest-growing and most respected styles of art in modern society, mostly due to its emphasis on emotions and psychological interpretations.
Jackson Pollock is easily one of the most recognizable and distinguished abstract artists of all time; his seemingly chaotic artworks caused unprecedented amounts of controversy, leading to his fame and value in the art community. Nowadays, an original Jackson Pollock painting can easily sell for tens of millions of dollars, the highest recorded amount being just over $200 million for “17A”, an artwork in his signature style of drip painting. His strategy for creating an artwork usually involved painting something on a canvas, and then dripping paint on it and attaching foreign objects (like small pieces of scrap metal or strings) to the still-wet paint until it all dried in place. He would do this in many different layers until the original painting was hardly distinguishable from the rest of the layers, or not visible at all. He also did not name the majority of his later paintings, often numbering them like the piece “17A” that I mentioned either. I could not find an official reason for this, but I speculate that it has something to do with not wanting to influence the viewer’s interpretation of the piece; many artists throughout history have actually done this, claiming that they do not want to tell the observer what to think of their piece by giving it a title, instead wanting them (the viewers) to interpret it for themselves. This actually ties in quite well with the idea behind abstract art, giving complete freedom of expression and thought to both the artist and the viewer.
Abstract art is the crystallization of freedom; something that allows all parties involved complete autonomy over their emotions. Unhindered by the limitations of realism and emotionally emancipated by the lack of direction, abstract art truly was a breakthrough in the art world at its introduction. Jackson Pollock, an early pioneer of abstract art, helped to perpetuate this idea by continuously developing new and innovative ways to paint and creating a style that was unlike anything the world had seen before. In doing so, one of the most prominent art styles of the 20th and 21st centuries was created, and its influence continues to grow.
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