American Letters 1927-1947

Jackson Pollock, the great American artist who revolutionized twentieth-century art with his canvases of dripping paint, was one of five sons from Cody, Wyoming, who grew up in the period from the late 1920s to the late 1940s, during the Great Depression and the Second World War. Jackson and his brothers and parents were often apart, travelling for work, for study, or just for the sake of travelling. But they kept in touch by writing letters Ð a constant flow of correspondence that offers not only a valuable insight into the formation of one of America's most influential artists but also a unique portrait of America itself during one of the most momentous periods of its history. These letters, most of which are published in this volume for the first time, show that the Pollock children took an early interest in two major themes: politics and art. Their interest in painting was stimulated by Thomas Hart Benton, who taught at the New York Art Students League and who infected them with his passion and commitment. Jackson's older brother Charles was most strongly influenced by Benton's left-wing beliefs, and most determined to bring art and politics together. Jackson himself was less focused and more complex; he had pronounced mystical leanings and, while he searched for his own way to express his artistic ambitions, he enjoyed life, hitting the open road, jumping from train to train, finding himself thrown out of school and even ending up in prison for a while, all the time writing about his experiences and his feelings in his letters. This remarkable volume of correspondence will be enjoyed by anyone interested in Jackson Pollock and modern art, as well as anyone interested in twentieth-century America. The volume includes original works of art by Charles Pollock and an Introduction by Michael Leja, an expert on abstract expressionism and the work of Jackson Pollock.

Paul Jackson Pollock was an American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was well known for his unique style of drip painting.
During his lifetime, Pollock enjoyed considerable fame and notoriety; he was a major artist of his generation.

Acknowledgments.

Notes on Text.

Family Tree.

The Pollock Brothers.

Introduction by Michael Leja.

American Letters.

Glossary.