Both drippers and anti-drippers who are serious about 20th art will find the exhibition of works on paper by Pollock rewarding viewing at the Guggenheim in NYC. There is something of a family relationship with the painter since Peggy supported him for a time in his worst days in return for which the museum can now boast of adequate coverage of his career in this medium. I certainly have no desire to get into the middle of the hot dispute between Elaine DeKooning and Lee Krasner as to which was America's "greatest living artist" even though both these artist wives of artists are gone. Both vital personalities still seem to shimmer if ever so dimly as one views the work of eithers spouse. Seeing these pictures by Pollock (oh, I will have an occasion to speak of DeKooning)from his beginning to his end gives me the impression that he was a talented guy who took a wrong turn somewhere along the line, was picked up by one of two major ideologists of the period, became successful though it, and ended up in a personal and artistic dead end.These pictures tell the story pretty well, without words, of his progression and are, thus, a necessary experience for any student of his work or of American art of the mid-20th century. As we used to say in my former trade, these are a necessary but not sufficient body of work to see where he came from and where he stalled. Unfortunately, from other sources, we know that his incurable alcoholism from adolescence (whatever its genetic and social roots) did not allow him the time which such as DeKooning and Guston, to find a way beyond what they had been doing until age 50. Incidentally, the lack of blockbuster appeal these works seem to manifest gives one ample opportunity really to see them.
(I have lost most of the interest I once had in architecture and urban planning so I cannot report on the main exhibition at the Guggenheim which occupies Wrights rotunda (which I would liken to Sewell's Folly). Each time I visited, however, it was well attended by a seemingly enthusiastic group of viewers.
 

I visited the JacksonPollack.org site and found out, quite by accident, if you click your mouse, the colors change.
 

Oh thanks, I mentioned both comments here.

Dion