Convergence is a painting produced in 1952 by American artist Jackson Pollock.
One of the initial earlier works of abstract expressionismand considered as one of the best bravest action paintings ever made.
Convergence is a huge painting (241.9 x 399.1 cm) and must be seen in person to acknowledge it’s grandeur. The painting was done during the Cold War, a period of crisis of war and it’s aftermath among the people. Abstract Expressionism provided a way for artists of all types to deliver feelings and ideas without the worry of public scrutiny of those thoughts. Of course, the public was reticent to accept their works as art, but that did not impede the movement’s freedom of expression.
The painting is a collection of hues splattered on a canvas resulted in shapes and lines. The splendid hues assault the eye at first sight; dark, orange, red, yellow, and white. It likewise appears as though there is a white creepy painted in the upper right corner of the composition splattered accidentally. There are circles, swirls, lines and spots splattered all through the canvas uncovering his feelings of insubordinate nature. The bright colors represented in his artwork represented rebellious nature.
Read 15 Most Famous Jackson Pollock Paintings
Pollock believed that it was the viewer, and not the artist, who defines and interpret the meaning of the abstract expressionist artwork thus, there is no relevance on what artist thinks or conveys while producing the work
Abstract Expressionism – Expression and Vitality Over Perfection
Abstract Expressionism is an artistic movement of the mid-20th century comprising diverse styles and techniques and emphasizing especially an artist’s liberty to convey attitudes and emotions through nontraditional and usually nonrepresentational means.
Jackson Pollock’s statement of Convergence-
“ My painting does not come from the easel. I hardly ever stretch my canvas before painting. I prefer to tack the unstretched canvas to the hard wall or the floor. I need the resistance of a hard surface. On the floor, I am more at ease. I feel nearer, more a part of the painting, since this way I can walk around it, work from the four sides and literally be ln the painting. This is akin to the method of the Indian sand painters of the West. I continue to get further away from the usual painter’s tools such as easel, palette, brushes, etc. I prefer sticks, trowels, knives and dripping fluid paint or a heavy impasto with sand, broken glass and other foreign matter added.
When I am my painting, I’m not aware of what I’m doing. It is only after a sort of ‘get acquainted’ period that I see what I have been about. I have no feels about making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own I try to let it come through. It is only when I lose contact with the painting that the result is a mess. Otherwise, there is pure harmony, an easy give and take, and the painting comes out well. The source of my painting is unconscious. I approach painting the same way I approach drawing. That is direct with no preliminary studies. The drawings I do are relative to my painting but not for it.
At the time when Convergence is made, artists like Pollock invented a new form of expression. Forward-thinking and powerful collectors like Peggy Guggenheim gave the abstract expressionism movement a wider audience and legitimacy so that the movement could grow and evolve into what it is today. Because of careful curation and respect for the founding artists of the movement, we are still able to enjoy these works.
The work can be viewed at Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York.