Jackson Polluck's was born in Wyoming in 1912. During his early years, he lived in Arizona and California. Jackson never graduated from high school and instead took a surveying job with his father in the Grand Canyon. It here that he was exposed the vast land and countryside that would later lead to his fear of the open spaces. .
At the age of 18, he followed his brother and moved to New York City to study with renowned artist Thomas Hart Benton at the Art Students League. Benton, preferring the honest, West and Midwest people like himself, took an interest in him immediately. By encouraging rhythmic balance and dynamic sequence, Benton became Pollock's major influence. El Greco, Diego Rivera, and Jose Orozco were among other great influences of Pollock. .
By the time Pollock was in his 30's, he realized that he was addicted to alcohol and began seeking treatment. Many of his paintings during this time are very reflective of his emotions. .
In 1940, Pollock met a wealthy woman by the name of Peggy Guggenheim. She offered him his first solo exhibition in her museum as well as a job decorating her apartment. This freed Pollock from financial problems and gave Guggenheim a chance to promote unknown artists who she thought were full of potential in her museum. .
Jackson Pollock later married Lee Krasner, a Russian Jewish artist, and they moved away from the city into East Hampton. With the influence of his wife, Pollock's work evolved even more, using drips and smears. He began to get annoyed with the fact that paintbrushes always needed reloading, so he embarked on applying the paint with sticks and knives instead. This set a new standard in American art. .
Soon, Jackson Pollock became well known, and the lack of privacy that came with fame soon got to him. He began drinking again, and his work began to suffer massively. On August 26, 1956, he and a female passenger were killed in a car wreck. .
