JACKSON POLLOCK (Moogist Commentary)

YouTube via timtsang3 | January 29, 2011 | 0 likes, 0 dislikes

"'When I am in a painting, I'm not aware of what I'm doing. It is only after a sort of 'get acquainted' period that I see what I have been about. I have no fears about making changes, destroying the image, etc, because the painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through. It is only when I lose contact with the painting that the result is a mess. Otherwise there is pure harmony, an easy give and take, and the painting comes out well.'

-Jackson Pollock

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
While painting is not my medium, and I am not claiming to be Pollock in any way, studying him and his ideas has helped guide me through my creative process this week, and I wish to give him credit for sparking new ideas.

On a TECHNICAL level, I agree with Pollock when he says that when one loses contact with the "painting" the result becomes a mess.

On an EXPRESSIVE level, it does seem that the work has a life of its own, and it is through interacting with it that the final outcome becomes possible.

if one is "too" technical in his/her work, then it may not be expressive enough, and if one is too expressive, the vice versa may be true. Therefore it not really about "balancing" the technical and the expressive - i.e. 50/50, as this may often lead to mediocrity on both fronts...

Instead, it is better that one's technique be informed by his/her expressiveness, thereby having these elements not only running parallel to each other, but are one and the same toward the same goal, on the same path, as a rider and his horse are one and rushing to the same destination.

I am striving for this, and it is clear that Pollock knew this well, as he states:

"It doesn't make much difference how the paint is put on as long as something has been said. Technique is just a means of arriving at a statement." -JP
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

moogist@gmail.com
facebook.com/moogistmusic"