AmericanPainterAbstract Expressionist20th Century

Jackson Pollock

Jackson Pollock was an influential American abstract expressionist painter known for his revolutionary drip technique and action painting.

1. Overview

Paul Jackson Pollock (Paul Jackson PollockˈpɒləkEnglish; January 28, 1912 - August 11, 1956) was an influential American painter and a leading figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He is widely recognized for his unique "drip technique" of pouring or splashing liquid household paint onto a horizontal canvas, allowing him to work from all angles. This method led to what was termed "all-over painting" and "action painting", as he engaged his entire body in the creative process, often in a dynamic, almost dance-like manner. While this extreme form of abstraction garnered significant praise for its immediacy, it also faced criticism for its perceived randomness.

A reclusive and often volatile individual, Pollock grappled with alcoholism throughout much of his life. In 1945, he married fellow artist Lee Krasner, who became a crucial influence on both his career and his lasting legacy. Pollock died at the age of 44 in an alcohol-related single-car collision. His work has been the subject of numerous memorial and retrospective exhibitions, including major shows at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City and the Tate Gallery in London.

2. Early Life and Background

Pollock's early life was marked by frequent relocations and a developing interest in art, shaped by diverse influences from his environment and early mentors.

2.1. Birth and Upbringing

Paul Jackson Pollock was born in Cody, Wyoming, on January 28, 1912, the youngest of five brothers. His parents, Stella May (née McClure) and LeRoy Pollock, were both from Tingley, Iowa. LeRoy Pollock, whose birth surname was McCoy, adopted the surname of his adoptive parents. The family was Presbyterian, with Irish and Scots-Irish ancestry. LeRoy worked as a farmer and later as a government land surveyor, which necessitated the family's frequent moves. Stella, proud of her family's weaving heritage, made and sold dresses. In November 1912, when Jackson was just 10 months old, Stella moved with her sons to San Diego, and Pollock never returned to Cody. He subsequently grew up in Arizona and Chico, California.

Pollock in 1928
Pollock in 1928

2.2. Education and Early Influences

During his formative years, Pollock attended Manual Arts High School in the Vermont Square neighborhood of Los Angeles, from which he was expelled. He had previously been expelled from another high school in 1928. While on surveying trips with his father, Pollock developed an early interest in Native American culture. He was also significantly influenced by Mexican muralists, particularly José Clemente Orozco, whose fresco Prometheus he later hailed as "the greatest painting in North America."

In 1930, following his older brother Charles Pollock, Pollock moved to New York City, where both brothers studied under Thomas Hart Benton at the Art Students League of New York. Although Benton's focus on rural American subject matter had limited impact on Pollock's own artistic themes, Benton's rhythmic application of paint and his fierce independence left a lasting impression. In the early 1930s, Pollock, along with fellow art student Glen Rounds and their teacher Benton, spent a summer touring the Western United States.

3. Artistic Development and Career

Pollock's artistic journey was characterized by a radical evolution of style, moving from more conventional forms to his groundbreaking drip technique, which redefined the possibilities of painting.

3.1. Early Career and WPA Involvement

Pollock was introduced to the use of liquid paint in 1936 at an experimental workshop in New York City led by the Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros. During that summer, he also visited Dartmouth College to study José Clemente Orozco's large-scale mural, "The Epic of American Civilization." He began incorporating paint pouring as one of several techniques in his canvases of the early 1940s, as seen in works like Male and Female and Composition with Pouring I.

From 1938 to 1942, Pollock worked for the WPA Federal Art Project, a New Deal initiative that commissioned artists for public works. During this period, he struggled with his established alcoholism and underwent Jungian psychotherapy from 1938 to 1941 with Dr. Joseph L. Henderson, and later with Dr. Violet Staub de Laszlo in 1941-1942. Henderson encouraged Pollock to express himself through drawings, and Jungian concepts and archetypes were often reflected in his paintings. Some psychiatrists have even hypothesized that Pollock may have had bipolar disorder.

In July 1943, Pollock signed a gallery contract with Peggy Guggenheim. She commissioned him to create the 8 by 20 feet Mural (1943) for the entrance to her new townhouse. At the suggestion of her friend and advisor Marcel Duchamp, Pollock painted the work on canvas rather than directly on the wall to ensure its portability. After seeing the monumental mural, art critic Clement Greenberg declared, "I took one look at it and I thought, 'Now that's great art,' and I knew Jackson was the greatest painter this country had produced." The catalog introducing his first exhibition described Pollock's talent as "volcanic. It has fire. It is unpredictable. It is undisciplined. It spills out of itself in a mineral prodigality, not yet crystallized."

3.2. Development of Drip Technique

After his move to Springs, New York, Pollock began painting with his canvases laid out on the studio floor, a practice that facilitated the development of his signature "drip" technique. This method involved pouring or splashing liquid household paint onto the horizontal surface, allowing him to view and apply paint from all directions. He used unconventional tools such as hardened brushes, sticks, trowels, knives, and even basting syringes as paint applicators. This innovative approach is considered one of the origins of the term "action painting."

Pollock's drip paintings were notably influenced by the Ukrainian-American artist Janet Sobel (born Jennie Lechovsky). Art critic Clement Greenberg later reported that Pollock "admitted" that Sobel's work, which he and Greenberg saw at Peggy Guggenheim's The Art of This Century Gallery in 1945, "had made an impression on him." Greenberg noted Sobel's works as the first examples of "all-over painting" he had encountered, directly influencing Pollock's technique.

3.3. The Drip Period (1947-1950)

Pollock's most celebrated and iconic paintings were created during his "drip period" between 1947 and 1950. While the influence of his earlier work and studies, particularly his time in David Alfaro Siqueiros's Experimental Workshop in 1936, is often overlooked, some art historians consider it crucial to understanding the genesis of his technique. Pollock himself, when questioned about the origin of his "drip" method, offered contradictory statements, sometimes attributing it to observing Navajo sand artists at the Natural History Museum in New York in 1941, and other times suggesting it was inspired by "the Oriental's" methods.

During this period, Pollock's work gained significant public attention. On August 8, 1949, Life magazine featured a four-page spread asking, "Is he the greatest living painter in the United States?" Thanks to the efforts of his close friend Alfonso A. Ossorio and art historian Michel Tapié, the young gallery owner Paul Facchetti organized the first exhibition of Pollock's works from 1948 to 1951 in Paris, marking his European debut on March 7, 1952. At the height of his fame, Pollock abruptly ceased using the drip style.

3.4. Later Career and Style Evolution

After 1951, Pollock's artistic output shifted, becoming darker in color. This included a series of works painted in black on unprimed canvas, often referred to as his "Black pourings." When these paintings were exhibited at the Betty Parsons Gallery in New York, none were sold, with Parsons later selling one to a friend at half price. These works reveal Pollock's attempt to reconcile abstraction with figurative depictions.

He eventually returned to using color and reincorporated figurative elements into his art. During this time, Pollock moved to the Sidney Janis Gallery, a more commercially oriented gallery, where the demand for his work from collectors was substantial. However, this pressure, coupled with personal frustrations, led to a deepening of his alcoholism. In 1955, Pollock created Scent and Search, which would be his last two paintings. He did not paint in 1956, instead focusing on creating sculptures at the home of Tony Smith. These sculptures, made from wire, gauze, and plaster, were shaped by sand-casting and featured heavily textured surfaces, echoing the tactile qualities often found in his paintings.

4. Artistry and Technique

Pollock's artistry was a complex blend of diverse influences, innovative techniques, and a deeply personal philosophy that sought to connect with the fundamental forces of nature and the unconscious.

4.1. Influences and Artistic Philosophy

Pollock's artistic development was shaped by a range of influences, including the works of Thomas Hart Benton, Pablo Picasso, and Joan Miró. His engagement with Surrealism and its emphasis on automatism also played a significant role, encouraging him to explore unconscious imagery. The Austrian artist Wolfgang Paalen's article on the totem art of British Columbia's indigenous people, which discussed the concept of space in totemist art from an artist's perspective, also influenced Pollock. Pollock owned a signed copy of Paalen's magazine, DYN 4-5 (1943), and had seen Paalen's surrealist paintings in a 1940 exhibition. Paalen's fumage technique, which involved using smoke to create images, particularly appealed to painters seeking new ways to depict the "unseen" or "possible." Pollock's painter friend Fritz Bultman even credited Paalen as the initiator of these new approaches.

Pollock famously articulated his artistic philosophy with the statement, "I am nature." This idea resonated with his method of creating art, which he saw as a direct engagement with natural forces and an extension of his own being. His move away from traditional easel and brush painting, and his practice of working on the floor, were akin to the methods of Native American sand painters, a connection he explicitly acknowledged.

4.2. Techniques: Pouring, Dripping, and Action Painting

Pollock revolutionized painting by abandoning conventional tools and methods. He began using synthetic resin-based paints, specifically alkyd enamels, which were a novel medium at the time. He described this use of household paints, rather than traditional artist's paints, as "a natural growth out of a need."

His unique working method involved laying unstretched canvas directly on the hard wall or floor. He preferred this approach because it offered the necessary resistance and allowed him to feel "nearer, more part of the painting." By being able to walk around the canvas and work from all four sides, he could literally be "in the painting," adding a new dimension to the creative process. Instead of brushes, he utilized hardened brushes, sticks, trowels, knives, and even basting syringes to pour and drip fluid paint. He also incorporated heavy impasto with materials like sand, broken glass, or other foreign matter.

This technique of pouring and dripping paint is considered one of the origins of the term "action painting," coined by critic Harold Rosenberg. Pollock's method was characterized by the dynamic movement of his entire body around the canvas, almost like a dance, as he flung, dripped, poured, and spattered paint. He aimed for a balance between controllable and uncontrollable factors, denying reliance on "the accident" and usually having a clear idea of the desired outcome. He stated, "When I am in my painting, I'm not aware of what I'm doing. It is only after a sort of 'get acquainted' period that I see what I have been about. I have no fear of making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through. It is only when I lose contact with the painting that the result is a mess. Otherwise there is pure harmony, an easy give and take, and the painting comes out well."

In 1950, photographer Hans Namuth extensively documented Pollock at work, capturing both still images and motion footage of his unique painting techniques. Namuth recounted entering the studio to find a dripping wet canvas covering the entire floor, with Pollock unexpectedly picking up a can and brush and beginning to move around the canvas. His movements, initially slow, gradually became faster and more dance-like as he flung black, white, and rust-colored paint, completely immersed in the process.

4.3. Nomenclature: From Titles to Numbers

To further challenge viewers' expectations and their search for figurative elements within his abstract works, Pollock eventually abandoned conventional titles for his paintings. Instead, he began simply numbering them. He explained his rationale, stating that he wanted viewers to "look passively and try to receive what the painting has to offer and not bring a subject matter or preconceived idea of what they are to be looking for." His wife, Lee Krasner, elaborated, "He used to give his pictures conventional titles... but now he simply numbers them. Numbers are neutral. They make people look at a picture for what it is-pure painting." This shift emphasized the intrinsic qualities of the painting itself, rather than external narratives or interpretations.

5. Personal Life and Struggles

Pollock's personal life was deeply intertwined with his artistic output, marked by profound relationships and a relentless battle with addiction.

5.1. Alcoholism and Personal Struggles

Pollock struggled with alcoholism for most of his adult life, a battle that significantly impacted his personal relationships and creative periods. His personality was often described as reclusive and volatile, leading to periods of intense emotional distress and erratic behavior. While he underwent Jungian psychotherapy in the late 1930s and early 1940s to address his alcoholism, the struggle was lifelong. Some psychiatrists have retrospectively suggested that Pollock may have suffered from bipolar disorder, which could explain the dramatic shifts in his mood and creative output. The pressures of his growing fame and the demands from collectors further exacerbated his addiction in his later career.

5.2. Relationship with Lee Krasner

Pollock's studio in Springs, New York
Pollock's studio in Springs, New York


Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner first met in 1942 when they both exhibited at the McMillen Gallery. Krasner, intrigued by Pollock's work, visited his apartment unannounced after the exhibition to meet him. In October 1945, they married in a church with two witnesses. The following month, they moved from the city to the Springs area of East Hampton, New York, on the south shore of Long Island. With a down-payment loan from Peggy Guggenheim, they purchased a wood-frame house and a barn at 830 Springs Fireplace Road. Pollock converted the barn into his studio, where he refined his "drip" technique. The couple enjoyed a quiet life together, cooking, gardening, working on their home, and entertaining friends when not immersed in their art.

Krasner's influence on Pollock's art has been extensively reevaluated by critics since the rise of feminism in the latter half of the 1960s. Her extensive knowledge and formal training in modern art and techniques were instrumental in bringing Pollock up to date with contemporary artistic movements. Krasner is often considered to have tutored her husband in the tenets of modernistic painting, enabling him to adapt his style to a more organized and cosmopolitan genre of modern art. She became the one critic whose judgment he trusted implicitly. Krasner also played a crucial role in introducing Pollock to numerous collectors, critics, and artists, including Herbert Matter, which helped advance his burgeoning career. Art dealer John Bernard Myers famously stated, "there would never have been a Jackson Pollock without a Lee Pollock," while fellow painter Fritz Bultman referred to Pollock as Krasner's "creation, her Frankenstein," acknowledging her immense impact.

Pollock's influence on Krasner's own artwork is also a subject of discussion among art historians. Some believe Krasner began to reinterpret her husband's chaotic paint splatters in her own work. There are accounts suggesting Krasner aimed to incorporate Pollock's "I am nature" technique into her art as a way to reproduce nature through her own intuition.

6. Death

Pollock's life ended tragically and prematurely due to a car accident fueled by his ongoing struggle with alcoholism.

Jackson Pollock's grave in the rear with Lee Krasner's grave in front in the Green River Cemetery
Jackson Pollock's grave in the rear with Lee Krasner's grave in front in the Green River Cemetery


By 1956, Pollock and Krasner's relationship was severely strained due to his persistent alcoholism and an affair with another artist, Ruth Kligman. On August 11, 1956, at approximately 10:15 PM, Pollock died in a single-car crash while driving his Oldsmobile convertible under the influence of alcohol. The accident occurred less than a mile from his home in Springs. One of the passengers, Edith Metzger, was also killed, while Ruth Kligman survived. At the time of the accident, Krasner was visiting friends in Europe and immediately returned upon hearing the news.

Four months after his death, in December 1956, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City held a memorial retrospective exhibition of Pollock's work. A larger, more comprehensive exhibition followed in 1967. In 1998 and 1999, his work was further honored with major retrospective exhibitions at MoMA and The Tate in London. For the remainder of her life, Lee Krasner meticulously managed Pollock's estate, working to ensure his artistic reputation remained strong despite evolving art world trends. Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner are buried in Green River Cemetery in Springs, with a large boulder marking his grave and a smaller one for hers.

7. Critical Reception and Debates

Pollock's groundbreaking work ignited significant critical debate, challenging traditional notions of art and sparking discussions that extended beyond aesthetics into political and philosophical realms.

7.1. Contemporary Critical Reception

Pollock's art elicited a wide spectrum of critical responses during his lifetime. Critic Robert Coates famously dismissed some of Pollock's works as "mere unorganized explosions of random energy, and therefore meaningless." Similarly, a 1959 headline in Reynold's News declared, "This is not art-it's a joke in bad taste."

Conversely, French abstract painter Jean Hélion was deeply impressed upon first encountering a Pollock painting, remarking, "It filled out space going on and on because it did not have a start or end to it." Clement Greenberg, a highly influential art critic, became a staunch supporter of Pollock's work on formalistic grounds. Greenberg viewed Pollock's art as a natural progression in art history, representing a purification of form and an elimination of historical content. He considered Pollock's paintings to be the pinnacle of contemporary art, seeing them as the culmination of the Western tradition that evolved from Cézanne to Manet and through Cubism.

7.2. Theories and Interpretations

In a 1952 article in ARTnews, Harold Rosenberg coined the influential term "action painting," describing it as a process where "what was to go on the canvas was not a picture but an event." He emphasized that "The big moment came when it was decided to paint 'just to paint'. The gesture on the canvas was a gesture of liberation from value-political, aesthetic, moral." Many observers assumed Rosenberg's "action painter" paradigm was directly modeled on Pollock's dynamic approach.

Pollock himself described his art as "motion made visible memories, arrested in space." His "all-over" compositions, where no single part of the canvas dominates as figure against a ground, further challenged traditional artistic conventions. This approach liberated line not only from representing objects but also from defining shapes or figures, whether abstract or representational.

Beyond artistic interpretation, Pollock's work became entangled in the political climate of the Cold War. The Congress for Cultural Freedom, an organization supported by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to promote American culture and values, sponsored exhibitions of Pollock's work internationally. Some left-wing scholars, including Eva Cockcroft, have argued that the United States government and wealthy elite strategically embraced Pollock and abstract expressionism to position American art at the forefront of the global art scene, thereby devaluing socialist realism championed by the Soviet Union. Cockcroft controversially asserted that Pollock's art became a "weapon of the Cold War."

8. Legacy and Influence

Jackson Pollock's revolutionary approach to painting left an indelible mark on the art world, influencing subsequent generations of artists and permeating popular culture, while his works continue to command significant value in the art market.

8.1. Influence on Later Artists and Movements

Pollock's innovative technique of staining raw canvas directly influenced Color Field painters such as Helen Frankenthaler and Morris Louis. Frank Stella adopted the "all-over composition" as a defining characteristic of his works in the 1960s. The sculptor Joseph Glasco was introduced to Pollock in 1949 by Alfonso Ossorio and continued to reflect on Pollock's artistic influence throughout his life, particularly in the early to mid-1970s when Glasco's style shifted to all-over collage paintings emphasizing rhythm and process.

Artists associated with Happenings, such as Allan Kaprow, and sculptors like Richard Serra and Eva Hesse, were deeply impacted by Pollock's emphasis on the creative process itself, rather than merely the final aesthetic outcome. His approach to art-making, prioritizing the act of creation, influenced countless contemporary artists. In 2004, Pollock's One: Number 31, 1950 was ranked as the eighth-most influential piece of modern art in a poll of 500 artists, curators, critics, and dealers, underscoring his enduring significance.

8.3. Art Market and Posthumous Recognition

Pollock's works have consistently commanded high prices in the art market, reflecting his enduring artistic significance. In 1973, Number 11, 1952 (also known as Blue Poles) was acquired by the Australian Gough Whitlam government for the National Gallery of Australia for 2.00 M USD (A$1.3 million at the time), marking the highest price ever paid for a modern painting at that point. Blue Poles became a centerpiece of MoMA's 1998 retrospective, its first showing in America since its purchase.

In November 2006, Pollock's No. 5, 1948 became the world's most expensive painting when it was sold privately for 140.00 M USD. Another record was set in 2004 when No. 12 (1949), a medium-sized drip painting exhibited at the 1950 Venice Biennale, sold for 11.70 M USD at Christie's in New York. In 2012, Number 28, 1951, a combination of drip and brushwork in silvery gray with accents of red, yellow, blue, and white, fetched 20.50 M USD (23.00 M USD with fees) at Christie's. In 2013, Number 19 (1948) sold for 58.36 M USD at a Christie's auction that achieved a record 495.00 M USD in total sales for contemporary art in one night. In February 2016, Kenneth C. Griffin reportedly purchased Pollock's 1948 painting Number 17A for 200.00 M USD from David Geffen.

In 2023, an previously unknown Pollock painting, reportedly valued at up to 50.00 M EUR, was discovered in Bulgaria following an investigation into an international art smuggling group. In 2024, Kasmin Gallery announced its exclusive global representation of Jackson Pollock's estate, having already represented Lee Krasner since 2016.

9. Authenticity Issues and Analysis

The significant value and influence of Pollock's work have led to controversies surrounding the authenticity of certain paintings, prompting the development of scientific methods for attribution.

9.1. Authenticity Debates

The Pollock-Krasner Foundation established the Pollock-Krasner Authentication Board in 1990 to evaluate newly discovered works for a supplement to the 1978 catalogue raisonné. However, the Foundation has historically declined direct involvement in authentication cases.

In 2006, the documentary Who the *Who the *$&% Is Jackson Pollock?% Is Jackson Pollock? explored the case of Teri Horton, a truck driver who purchased an abstract painting for 5 USD at a thrift store in California in 1992, which some believe to be a lost Pollock. The documentary features Thomas Hoving, who argues against its authenticity, noting the painting is on a primed canvas, which Pollock typically did not use.

Untitled 1950, sold by the New York-based Knoedler Gallery in 2007 for 17.00 M USD to a London hedge-fund multimillionaire, became the subject of an authenticity lawsuit. The painting, done in Pollock's signature drip-and-splash style and signed "J. Pollock," was found to contain yellow paint pigments that were not commercially available until approximately 1970. The lawsuit was settled in a confidential agreement in 2012.

9.2. Fractal Analysis

In 1999, physicist and artist Richard Taylor introduced computer analysis to demonstrate similarities between Pollock's painted patterns and fractals, which are patterns that recur across multiple size scales and are commonly found in natural scenery. This research team coined the term "fractal expressionism" to describe Pollock's style, linking it to his artistic philosophy, "I am nature."

In 2003, 24 paintings and drawings in the style of Pollock were discovered in a locker in Wainscott, New York. In 2005, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation requested fractal analysis for the first time in an authenticity dispute. Researchers at the University of Oregon utilized this technique to identify differences between the patterns in six disputed paintings and 14 authenticated Pollocks. Further pigment analysis by researchers at Harvard University revealed the presence of a synthetic pigment in one painting that was not patented until the 1980s, and materials in two others that were unavailable during Pollock's lifetime.

Subsequently, over 10 scientific groups have conducted fractal analysis on more than 50 of Pollock's works. A 2015 study employing fractal analysis, among other techniques, achieved a 93% success rate in distinguishing genuine Pollocks from fakes. Current research in Fractal Expressionism explores human responses to viewing fractals, with cognitive neuroscientists demonstrating that Pollock's fractals induce similar stress-reduction effects in observers as computer-generated fractals and naturally occurring fractals.

10. Archives, Foundations, and Institutions

Several organizations and institutions are dedicated to preserving, promoting, and studying the legacy of Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner.

10.1. Pollock-Krasner Foundation and House/Studio

The Pollock-Krasner Foundation was established in 1985, serving as the official estate for both Pollock and his widow, Lee Krasner. Beyond managing their artistic legacies, the foundation, as stipulated by Krasner's will, also aims "to assist individual working artists of merit with financial need." The Artists Rights Society serves as the U.S. copyright representative for the Pollock-Krasner Foundation.

The Pollock-Krasner House and Studio is owned and administered by the Stony Brook Foundation, a non-profit affiliate of Stony Brook University. This historic site, located at 830 Springs Fireplace Road in Springs, New York, was Pollock's home and studio where he developed his iconic drip technique. Regular tours of the house and studio are offered from May through October, allowing visitors to experience the environment where much of his groundbreaking work was created.

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10.2. Archives and Collections

Lee Krasner donated Pollock's papers to the Archives of American Art in 1983, where they were subsequently archived alongside her own papers. The Archives of American Art also houses the Charles Pollock papers, which include correspondence, photographs, and various other files related to his brother, Jackson. These archives provide invaluable resources for scholars and researchers studying the lives and works of both artists.

11. Major Works

Pollock's major works represent the evolution of his artistic style, from early influences to his distinctive drip paintings and later explorations.

  • (1942) Male and Female, Philadelphia Museum of Art
  • (1942) Stenographic Figure, Museum of Modern Art
  • (1942) The Moon Woman, Peggy Guggenheim Collection
  • (1943) Mural, University of Iowa Museum of Art
  • (1943) The She-Wolf, Museum of Modern Art
  • (1943) Blue (Moby Dick), Ohara Museum of Art
  • (1945) Night Mist, Norton Museum of Art
  • (1945) Troubled Queen, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
  • (1946) Eyes in the Heat, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice
  • (1946) The Key, Art Institute of Chicago
  • (1946) The Tea Cup, Collection Frieder Burda
  • (1946) Shimmering Substance, from The Sounds In The Grass, Museum of Modern Art
  • (1946) Free Form, Museum of Modern Art
  • (1947) Portrait of H.M., University of Iowa Museum of Art
  • (1947) Full Fathom Five, Museum of Modern Art
  • (1947) Cathedral, Dallas Museum of Art
  • (1947) Enchanted Forest, Peggy Guggenheim Collection
  • (1947) Lucifer, The Anderson Collection at Stanford University
  • (1947) Sea Change, Seattle Art Museum
  • (1948) Painting
  • (1948) Number 5 (4 feet x 8 feet), Private collection
  • (1948) Number 8, Neuberger Museum of Art at the State University of New York at Purchase
  • (1948) Number 13A: Arabesque, Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut
  • (1948) Composition (White, Black, Blue and Red on White), New Orleans Museum of Art
  • (1948) Summertime: Number 9A, Tate Modern
  • (1948) Number 19
  • (1949) Number 1, Glenstone museum
  • (1949) Number 3, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.
  • (1949) Number 10, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
  • (1949) Number 11, Indiana University Art Museum, Bloomington, Indiana
  • (1950) Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist), National Gallery of Art
  • (1950) Mural on Indian red ground, 1950, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
  • (1950) Autumn Rhythm (Number 30), 1950, Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • (1950) Number 29, 1950, National Gallery of Canada
  • (1950) Number 32, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • (1950) One: Number 31, 1950, Museum of Modern Art
  • (1951) Number 7, National Gallery of Art
  • (1951) Black and White (Number 6), San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
  • (1952) Convergence, Albright-Knox Art Gallery
  • (1952) Blue Poles: No. 11, 1952, National Gallery of Australia
  • (1952) Number 12, 1952, Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Art Collection
  • (1953) Portrait and a Dream, Dallas Museum of Art
  • (1953) Easter and the Totem, The Museum of Modern Art
  • (1953) Ocean Greyness, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
  • (1953) The Deep, Centre Georges Pompidou