The artwork titled “Eyes in the Heat” was created by Jackson Pollock in 1946, employing oil on canvas as his medium of choice. Measuring 137.2 cm by 109.2 cm, this piece is an embodiment of the Action painting genre and forms part of the abstract art movement. Currently, this significant work is housed within the esteemed Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Italy.
“Eyes in the Heat” exemplifies Pollock’s signature dripping and pouring painting technique, which he would further develop into his renowned drip paintings. The canvas is awash with a cacophony of energetic lines and swirling colors that suggest motion and dynamic interplay. The tangled web of paint, suggestive of the heat and fervor implied by the title, creates an impression of depth and complexity. Despite the abstract nature of the work, the presence of eye-like forms sporadically emerges amidst the chaos, grounding the viewer’s gaze and providing a point of connection within the torrent of abstraction. The frenetic application of the paint is indicative of Pollock’s physical interaction with the canvas, a hallmark of his practice during this period, where the act of painting itself became as important as the finished product. The palpable intensity of the artist’s movements immortalized in this piece reflects the raw, spontaneous emotion championed by the Abstract Expressionist movement.
