Order/Chaos Influential Artist: Jackson Pollock (1912 - 1956)

Whilst researching various artist who appear to reflect order/chaos in their work I came across Jackson Pollock, an influential artist of post world war 2 America. Pollock became a master of Action Painting with his drip technique and floor style canvas endeavours which was part of the movement of abstract expressionism. The aftermath of WW11 created social conditions influenced by anxiety leading to this style of Art.

Collectors want paintings which seem alive to them, surcharged with energy, or excitement, or emotional connotations...

Aline Louchheim. Artnews July 1st 1944

Even much later Pollock's work showed connections to American Nationalism, perhaps indicating that there was order and thought in the appearance of chaos. Some might have even seen exhibiting Pollock's work in these times as part of a plan.

In the 1980s art was seen as part of the social discourse and Pollock's paintings were treated as social documents. The discerning viewer or perhaps the patient code breaker could read that exhibiting Pollock's work was part of a strategic plan to achieve American Supremacy in the Cold War...

Jeremy Lewison. Interpreting Pollock. Tate Gallery Publishing 1999

However whilst Pollock's work showed no sign of overt nationalism, his art held the energy and chaos which America so desired both during and after WW11 and in later years showed powerful influence on the thoughts and suspicions of the people.

Jackson Pollock had been introduced to the use of liquid paint in 1936 by David Siqueiros and paint pouring was one of several techniques he used, tacking a large canvas to the floor and using his whole body to paint, he certainly appeared to show chaos perhaps reflected by national anxiety in his work. Never the less some years later a certain mathematical order was detected. Physicists Richard Taylor, Micholich and Jonas determined that some of Pollock's works displayed properties of mathematical fractals. Indicating that Pollock may have had a intuition of the nature of chaos motion 10 years or more before chaos theory was proposed.

In my opinion there is order in the chaos of Pollock's work, even if it is from deep within the subconscious. Also I feel the viewer may find the order of  American Nationalism in Pollock's art through a united recognition of what Pollock's paintings indicate, whether true to this notion or not.

                                              Secret Of The Guardian 1943

                                            Blue Poles (Number 11) 1953