The Fate of a Gesture: Jackson Pollock and Post-War American Art

by Carter Ratcliff

Explores the history of modern American painting through the career and influence of Jackson Pollock

Genres: Art, Biography

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of the book is an analysis about the 'fate of a gesture' as developed in American art from the 1950s to the 1980s. Carter Ratcliff puts forward an interesting thesis about how Pollock's 'gesture,' in his case the 'drip,' changes through the works of a number of artists discussed in his book. The major problem, for this reader, is how Ratcliff discusses a number of artworks in his book, but he fails to include images to supplement his thesis. Those he did include were in black-and-white. This made the text somewhat disjointed. However, the premise is interesting, and well worth the read.