Jackson Pollock - by Deborah Solomon (Paperback)

About the Book

Illustrated with twenty-five reproductions of Pollock's paintings, the book looks into the passions, conflicts, relationships, and influences of the artist, Jackson Pollock, widely considered the finest American painter of the twentieth century.

Book Synopsis

Deborah Solomon's biography sets Jackson Pollock in his time and portrays him as a shy, often withdrawn person, full of insecurities and self-doubts, and frequently unable to express himself about his art or its meaning. Solomon interviewed two hundred people who knew Pollock and his work and she has drawn extensively on Pollock's own writings and other personal papers. She examines the artist's relationships with his family; his wife and fellow artist Lee Krasner; art patron Peggy Guggenheim; the painters Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, and many more.

Review Quotes

Solomon is blunt about Pollock's numerous problems both with establishing his style and with alcoholism and declining mental health. A good, manageable biography for art enthusiasts and lay readers alike.

That story has now for the first time been told...in this very good and very sad book.

The improbable mix of Stanley Kowalski, James Dean and Van Gogh never fails to amaze.

The soundest account so far of Pollock's life and career.

About the Author

Deborah Solomon is the author of Utopia Parkway: The Life and Work of Joseph Cornell. She lives in New York City.