Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Oscar-winning movie "Pollock"


Pollock
Originally uploaded by jovisala47
At the end of the 1940's, abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) is featured in Life magazine.

Flashback to 1941, he's living with his brother in a tiny apartment in New York City, drinking too much, and exhibiting an occasional painting in group shows. That's when he meets artist Lee Krasner, who puts her career on hold to be his companion, lover, champion, wife, and, in essence, caretaker.

To get him away from booze, insecurity, and the stress of city life, they move to the Hamptons where nature and sobriety help Pollock achieve a breakthrough in style: a critic praises, then Life magazine calls.

But so do old demons: the end is nasty, brutish, and short. Written by

Quotes:

To whom shall I hire myself out?
What beast must I adore?
What holy image is attacked?
What hearts must I break?
What lie must I maintain?
What blood tread?
— Arthur Rimbaud, French poet (1854-1891) Used by Krasner.

Lee Krasner: You're not just randomly putting paint on the canvas, you're painting *something*. You can't abstract from nothing, you can only abstract from life, from nature.
Jackson Pollock: I *am* nature.


Much of the fascination of the film lies in the examination of the complexities of the almost love-hate relationship that develops between the two. On the one hand, we sense that Jackson and Lee provide just the right emotional complement for one another – a symbiosis which lays the foundation for an environment in which Pollock's creativity and artistic experimentation can expand and flourish.

- symbiosis

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