Jackson Pollock

Pollock, Jackson (1912–56), U.S. painter, leader of abstract expressionism. Influenced by surrealism, he developed “action painting”: dripping paint on canvas placed flat on the floor, and forming marks in it with sticks, trowels, and knives. His work, such as Number 32 (1950) and Blue Poles (1953), comprises intricate networks of lines.

See also: Abstract expressionism.