“Number 12,” a painting by Jackson Pollock created in 1949, is an emblematic work of the Abstract Expressionism movement, more specifically, its Action Painting branch. As a piece of abstract genre, it defies straightforward interpretation and representation, instead embodying the artist’s expressive gestures.
The artwork presents a complex interplay of colors and forms, achieved through the dynamic process of dripping, flinging, and drizzling paint onto the canvas. Pollock’s method favors spontaneity and physical action, evident in the energetic and intricate web of lines that traverse the canvas. The composition is dense with overlapping paint splatters, exhibiting a variety of colors from earth tones to brighter hues set against a light background. This tactile surface creates an impression of depth and movement, inviting viewers to explore the visual rhythms and patterns that emerge from Pollock’s gestural technique. The chaos within the work suggests a liberated form of expression, unconfined by traditional artistic conventions, and underscores the notion of the painting as an event captured in time.
