"'Number 1A, 1948', on display at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, is thought to symbolise Jackson Pollock's pure, unrestricted creative freedom. It features dynamic swirls of oil and enamel paint, dripped from height onto the canvas - a striking image at odds with the painting's minimalist title. Now, 77 years on, scientists have identified the 'extinct' pigment that Pollock used to create the masterpiece."
"They confirm for the first time that the abstract expressionist used a vibrant blue shade that's been unavailable for decades. It was in production from the 1930s until the 1990s, having been banned by the artistic community due to fears of toxicity. At the time of its creation, Pollock - a troubled alcoholic for most of his life - was most likely unaware of the paint's dangers. But now the scientists know the exact shade, their findings offer 'critical context for conserving his work'."
"'Number 1A, 1948', almost 9 feet (2.7 meters) wide, is currently on display at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, where Pollock lived and studied. As is clear from looking at the work, paint has been dripped and splattered across the canvas, creating a vivid, multicolored and chaotic work. Pollock even gave the piece a personal touch, adding his handprints near the upper right, akin to an autograph."
Scientists identified an extinct vibrant blue pigment used by Jackson Pollock in Number 1A, 1948, confirming a previously unassigned color. The pigment was produced from the 1930s until the 1990s and was banned by parts of the artistic community over toxicity concerns. Pollock was likely unaware of the dangers when he used the paint. The painting measures almost nine feet wide and displays his drip-based action painting technique, including handprints near the upper right. A team from MoMA, Stanford University and the City University of New York located the blue, providing critical context for conserving the work. Past studies had already identified the red and yellow pigments.
Read at Mail Online
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]