Definition of Technique
Action painting is a unique painting technique which uses a lot of broad gestures directed by artist’s sense of control to paint furiously, vigorously and spontaneously to achieve the effect of gestural abstraction. With an abstract gestural painting, the point is not what gets painted but how it gets painted by artist’s sense of control interacting with chance or random occurrences.
Action painting is not only a direct and instinctual kind of art that involves the spontaneous application of vigorous, sweeping brushstrokes, and the chance effects of dripping and splashing paint onto the canvas rather than being carefully applied; but also, a direct relation to artist’s psychology, emotional expression, feelings, and mood.
For Jackson Pollock, an American action painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement, he anxiously aware of human irrationality and vulnerability, and he expressed his concerns in an abstract art that chronicled the ardor and exigencies of modern life. He had introduced his famous “drip painting” which represent one of the most original bodies of work of the century by the mid-1940s.
Jackson Pollock, Convergence, 1952, Oil on Canvas, 393.7 x 237.5 cm,
Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY, US.
Jackson Pollock, No.5, 1948, Oil on Fiberboard, 2.4m x 1.2m,
Private collection, NY.
Description
Jackson Pollock’s action painting has altered the course of American art forever. He produced his masterpieces by painting onto the canvas which placed face-up on the floor or laid out against a wall. He had applied many techniques to produce action painting including dribble, splash, smear, and sweeping brushstrokes by using hardened brushes.
The all-over method of nongeometric abstract paintings, which is most popularly thought of as emerging in relation to Jackson Pollock’s techniques, avoids clear and distinct points of emphasis within the large canvas and features no obvious references to directional format or traditional structure to achieve the equal importance and attention of each portion of the painting. In order to work with the overall features of art and able to view from all directions, disregard for the size of the paintings and lack of dimensions become the unique features of Jackson Pollock’s action painting.
The paints used by Jackson Pollock are household paints and Alkyd enamels which is synthetic resin-based paint. The concentration of those paints allows him to create heavy impasto with sand, broken glass, or other foreign matter added. He had used a style where he would allow the paint to drip from the paint can. He also applied his painting techniques that do not involve a paintbrush such as knives, trowels, sticks, metal rods, kitchen tools, towels, empty tins, and solvent.
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