Jackson Pollock and Salvador Dali: Art Analysis
Jackson Pollock: Number 1, 1948
Author: Jackson Pollock
Timeline: 1948
Style: Abstract Expressionism
Technique: Oil, enamel, and aluminum paint on canvas
Location: Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
Formal Analysis of Pollock’s Work
Topic: Traces of lines overlap and extend throughout the canvas, creating a sense of boundless space. Pollock, a key figure in Action Painting, engaged his entire body and soul in the execution of his work. For Pollock, painting was a life experience.
- Color: Initially, Pollock used bright colors, but later he adopted a more austere palette of black and white, utilizing industrial paints. This work belongs to the latter period.
- Drawing: There is no conventional drawing. Pollock employed techniques such as dripping or direct application with his hands.
- Light: There is no traditional light source.
- Composition: Pollock embraced improvisation, without any pre-planning. He interacted directly with the canvas, moving around and within it. His work has been compared to jazz, with its spontaneous and simultaneous interpretation. There is no distinction between figure and ground. The painting extends beyond the canvas edges, lacking figurative elements. The forms are defined by the artist’s mood. Pollock created a new visual language where the painting serves as a vehicle for the artist’s emotions. There is no central focus or hierarchy; everything forms a continuum.
Content and Meaning
Pollock could not predict the final appearance of his paintings, often titling them with numbers, dates, or simply “Untitled.” This approach avoids limiting the viewer’s interpretation. He believed that the viewer should create their own individual meaning from the work.
Function
Expressionism changed the relationship between the viewer and the painting. Pollock placed the canvas on the floor, viewing it from all sides, stepping on it, and applying paint with his hands. Critics were divided; some dubbed him “Jack the Dripper,” while influential critics admired him.
Salvador Dali: The Great Masturbator
Formal Analysis of Dali’s Work
- Drawing: Dali’s work is characterized by meticulous detail and precise drawing.
- Colors: He uses bright, vivid colors without tonal gradation, aiming for near-photographic realism.
- Light: The light is arbitrary, illuminating his paranoid visions.
- Composition: Dali constructs a dreamlike world, evoking fear and hidden desires, reflecting the relationship between sleep and hallucination. He employs a miniaturist technique to express space. The central figure is a self-portrait, supported by a large nose, surrounded by sexual symbols: the lily represents masculinity, and the woman brings her face to the genitals of the male body. Through the paranoiac-critical method (paranoid = soft, critical = hard), he creates a dichotomy in his works. We see a contrast between the hard landscapes and architecture and the soft, flaccid figures. The woman’s face, likely Gala’s, is classic. Some elements resemble shells and the sea.
Content and Meaning
Dali invited Paul Éluard, his wife Gala, and other Surrealists to spend a few days in Cadaqués. There, Dali became interested in Gala during their walks on the beach. The painting is filled with sexual symbols: a ham with a broken string represents the absence of Gala (an obsession), the lion symbolizes energy, and the locust’s belly is full of ants (representing Dali’s childhood fears). Two mannequins kissing create a disturbing atmosphere.
Function
The painting served as an escape route for Dali’s sexual desires, reflecting his attraction to women. Dali actively supported the individual’s role in self-inducing delusional images through paranoia.