Jackson Pollock. "Convergence." 1952. Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York.
There are several reasons why Pollock's "Convergence" caught my attention. One was the scale of the work, about eight feet by 13 feet (93" x 155") and the medium used (oil on canvas). But the artistic and emotional appeal was the force and freedom that the painting's nonlinear images suggested to me. The meaning of the painting seemed to be connected to whatever meaning was to be found in life.
Pollock used the elements of painting itself, rather than conventional, recognizable objects (nature, people, etc.) as his subject matter. The color, line, brush strokes, texture, form, and play of light and dark create the "subject." The painting cannot be intellectually interpreted, but the mind can make sense of it in terms of the abstract power, forces and shapes, contrast in colors, and mood. The primary colors -- blue, yellow, red -- in the foreground appear to be emerging from the dark background and are like a convergence of any elements possible, such as a tidal wave or a wild dance. This is not to imply that the result of drip painting is random. For example, there are orange loops in the painting, particularly in the upper half, that clearly appear to have been deliberately applied. In the same vein, not all of the canvas is covered with paint. There are small areas of beige color which are the unpainted canvas. And the total impression is not that of a random style, but of a design. Whether or not this design occurred before the painting was made or during the process is of no consequence; the point is that it is an artistic expression. A chromatic harmony exists. The lines and directions, the shapes, colors and forces of the painting seem to erupt as a physical action. As such, "Convergence" is a superior example of action or gesture painting within the Abstract Expressionist style.
The apogee of gestural painting i...