At North Shore High School, seniors in the Renaissance 2000 class under the direction of Linda Lohrius and Anita Rabin-Havt recently studied the influential artist Jackson Pollock. They visited his Hampton home and were able to not only experience his lifestyle, but see where he created a majority of his artwork. They also visited his gravesite. North Shore Senior Abbey Hunt said, “It was a great experience to see where Mr. Pollock created his masterpieces. We even saw one of his footprints in the studio.” She added, “It is amazing how Mr. Pollock and his wife, Lee Krasner, lived in such a modest home but were both able to pursue their passion for art.”
The seniors had the opportunity to also create their own “Pollocks.” Outside in the courtyard, the students splattered tarps with house paints and recreated paintings similar to Pollock’s unique style. Senior Elizabeth Hamberger said, “In our paintings, we tried to imitate Mr. Pollock’s style by using sticks and leaves to get different drip effects. When we used our hands, the splatters came out differently.” She added, “Everyone had a lot of fun and it really helped with our understanding of Pollock’s artwork.”
Senior Evan Rexon said, “Through this experience we learned the process behind Pollock’s style of painting. He doesn’t just fling paint on a canvas; it is a complex process that is an art form in itself” He concluded with, “Like our teacher Mrs. Rabin-Havt said, it is like a ballet.”
