A tragic icon of Abstract Expressionism, Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) took influences from Picasso and Mexican surrealism and developed his own way of seeing, interpreting, and expressing. Though his name inevitably conjures up images of the drip paintings for which he is most famous, this technique was only developed midway through his career. The progression from his earlier work to his final "action" paintings a veritable revolution of painting as a concept—reveals the genius of this tortured artist whom many call the greatest modern American painter.

About the Series:
Every book in TASCHEN's Basic Art Series features:

a detailed chronological summary of the artist's life and work, covering the cultural and historical importance of the artist
approximately 100 color illustrations with explanatory captions
a concise biography

About the author:
Dr. Leonhard Emmerling received his doctorate from the University of Heidelberg for a thesis entitled 'Kunsttheorie Jean Dubuffets.' Since 2002 he has been working as a freelance author and contemporary art exhibition curator in Berlin. His previous publications include TASCHEN’s Jean-Michel Basquiat.