Jackson Pollock's Mural: Energy Made Visible

by David Anfam

An astute, beautifully illustrated examination of the recently restored touchstone of modern art Jackson Pollock’s major early work Mural (1943) was commissioned by Peggy Guggenheim for the entrance hall of her East 61st Street New York residence. Mural-sized, though not actually a mural―the work is painted on a six-meter-long canvas, not directly onto the wall―this vast, frieze-like panorama would be hugely influential in twentieth-century American art.

In J ackson Pollock's Mural : Energy Made Visible , David Anfam explores the painting and its impact by way of the different themes it incorporates, including the imagery of action and process, the big picture, the “gothic,” the body, dance, and Romanticism, relating them to art historical precedents, Abstract Expressionism, Pollock’s psychology, and the context of American art and culture in the pre- and postwar years. This analysis is accompanied by reproductions of Pollock’s work as well as imagery from the period that sheds light on the artist’s development.

Gifted to the University of Iowa Museum of Art in 1948, Mural has rarely traveled, and it is now the focus of a traveling exhibition curated by Anfam. This accompanying volume offers crucial analysis and historical background on one of Pollock’s most significant works. 106 illustrations, 67 in color

146 pages, Hardcover

First published May 12, 2015

Reviews

[Kevin Casto · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful look into the life of Jackson Pollock and his groundbreaking mural that in many ways began the abstract expressionist movement. A great book for exploring the why's behind Pollock's work and style.