It is 100 years since the birth of the hugely influential American abstract painter Jackson Pollock on January 28th 1912.
Jackson Pollock's best known paintings only counted for four years of his work. The intensity and scale of Pollock's finest abstract works has led him to be regarded as one of the most important American artists of his day, and major figure in the abstract expressionist movement.
Pollock's best known works are created by the 'drip and splash' style. He fixed his canvas to the floor or wall and, holding the brush or stick a foot or so away, threw lines of paint towards it, allowing chance to direct the evolution of a painting. He then manipulated the paint with an assortment of instruments, sometimes achieving textured effects using elements such as sand or broken glass.
Jackson Pollock struggled with alcoholism all his life and died in December 1956 age of 44 in an alcohol-related car accident.
