Product Description

Jackson Pollock's life and death are the stuff that American myths are made of. Born on the plains of Wyoming, he was the 'cowboy' who became a star of the sophisticated New York art world, until his death in a drunken car crash in 1956, at the age of forty-four. Despite his personal torments, Pollock produced a body of work which helped forge the first great American art movement, Abstract Expressionism, and made him the first American painter to be ranked with the European masters of the twentieth century. This portrait of Jackson Pollock explores the truth and legend surrounding a painter who embodies the spirit of post-war America in his work, just as other fifties talents like Jack Kerouac, James Dean and Charlie Parker did in theirs.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #96302 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-01-23
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 52 minutes

Amazon.com
This British documentary examines the life of painter Jackson Pollock--from his childhood in Wyoming to his death in a car crash on Long Island in 1956--in an effort to understand both the development of his work and its place in the history of art.

The film explores the influences that combined to inspire Pollock's unique approach to painting: from the open spaces of his western childhood to the neon bustle of Manhattan, from an early interest in Native American art to a fascination with Mexican muralists and French surrealism. Interviews with many of Pollock's contemporaries round out the portrait. His wife Lee Krasner, fellow artists, and critics offer their own impressions of a complex and deeply troubled man. A conversation with his sister-in-law is especially revealing, since she refuses to accept the Pollock myth and insists that he was a manipulative phony.

Also included are many examples--both still photographs and film--of the artist at work. These images of Pollock crouched over his canvas, cigarette between his lips, almost dancing as he drips and flicks the paint, changed the public perception of artists, and they have become almost as iconic as the art whose creation they record. Unfortunately the paintings themselves lose much of their power on screen, and they seem more drab, less infused with energy than they do when seen in a gallery. A few canvasses (notably The Deep, an extraordinary late work) do convey some of the artist's genius, but only a face-to-face encounter can convey the true impact of his paintings. Like those paintings, Jackson Pollock resists explanation, but this documentary provides a fascinating introduction to a great figure of 20th-century art. --Simon Leake

Customer Reviews

Everything I could have wanted.
I was a bit weary to pick this up because I wasn't sure just what would be included, both in the feature as well as in the way of extras. Well, there are no extras and the transfer is a bit spotty in places but the feature content is what really shines. I was very impressed with the inclusion of excerpts from both Namuth's black and white and color fims, as well as excerpts from the radio interview Pollock did. Also included are interviews with friends and family (including his wife, Lee Krasner). If you saw the movie and wanted to know what the real man was like, I would suggest picking up this DVD.

YOU CANT MISS IT !
You dont need to be a fanatic of Modern Art to purchase this DVD.I really had good time watching it and learning about the life and the work of Jackson Pollock. I strongly recomment it.

Worth every penny
THis video dives into the life of Jackson Pollock and tries to make sense of his life and work. i recommend this to any Pollock fan and am sure you will be satisfied with the purchase