Visual Dynamics in Jackson Pollock's Abstractions (Gestalt Psychology).

Abstract

This dissertation applies Rudolf Arnheim's gestalt, perceptual psychological analysis of visual dynamics to the abstractions of the modern, American, Abstract Expressionist painter, Jackson Pollock. The analysis of the paintings' essential structures clarifies how his imagery evokes meaningful responses in viewers, introducing the reader to matters of connoisseurship and to the special nature of modern values. Chapter I examines the microstructures in Pollock's paintings. The prominence of individual strokes of paint and their special qualities are analyzed, as is Pollock's h and ling of color, facture, impasto, and collage. These elements are considered within the context of what perceptual psychologists term "texture" and what Pollock experts refer to as "all-over" properties. Major abstract motifs, or primary structural configurations, are the topic of Chapter II. Four major motifs are surveyed, while the particular dynamics of each are analyzed in conjunction with a consideration of how the dynamics relate to various painting traditions and expressive concerns. In Chapter III intermediary, or secondary structural configurations are analyzed. Specific configurations are catalogued and examined in terms of the contributions to each of the paintings' particular dynamics. The formats Pollock employed are analyzed in Chapter IV. First, the effects of the unusually large canvases he favored are explored. Then the shapes and proportions of the various geometries are surveyed and studied with special consideration being paid to his interest in the "epic" and "frieze" formats. Lastly, his reserved treatment of the framing edge is discussed in terms of its effect on the visual dynamics. The Conclusion discusses how the various structural levels function together in a coordinate manner rather than in the more traditional, Renaissance, hierarchical fashion. This permits an examination of Pollock's concern with equivalence, accidental effects, and kinesthetics. Analysis of the relationship between his unorthodox working methods and his imagery shows how his working procedures contributed to the appearance of the abstractions, but how visual dynamics, such as improvisational and kinesthetic qualities, operate through the actual imagery the viewer confronts. This detailed analysis directs the reader toward a criticial perception and a greater appreciation of Pollock's abstractions.