Stephen F. Austin State University

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - East Texans can better understand and appreciate abstract expressionism as they view "Picturing Pollock: Photographs by Hans Namuth and Martha Holmes," which will open at 6 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 27, at Stephen F. Austin State University's The Art Center @ the Old Opera House. The exhibition opens as part of the grand re-opening of the newly renovated art center located at 329 E. Main Street in downtown Nacogdoches and will run through Sunday, March 25.

"Jackson Pollock was one of the leading members of the abstract expressionist movement of the 1940s and '50s," explained Dr. Bradley Bailey, SFA assistant professor of art history. "And the photographs included in the exhibition are significant because they document his technique."

Pollock's paintings, known for their "drip and pour" style, were created as the artist stood over the canvas he had laid on the floor.

"Pollock looked inside of himself, seeking a way to directly communicate to a viewer an idea or sensation, which did not necessarily involve an object or scene," Bailey said. "Understanding the process behind the making of the painting became an essential part of understanding how the painting operates as a work of art."

Thanks to the photographs taken by Hans Namuth and Martha Holmes, Pollock's process has been documented for all time.

Namuth took hundreds of pictures of Pollock painting, some of which were used in conjunction with an article that appeared in the May 1951 issue of Art News. The Nacogdoches exhibition will include about 30 of Namuth's photographs.

Also included are three pictures taken by Life magazine photographer Martha Holmes for the article, "Jackson Pollock: Is He the Greatest Living Painter in the United States?" which appeared in the Aug. 8, 1949, issue of Life.

"The Life article was one of the most important pieces published about Pollock in his lifetime," Bailey said. "The article and pictures made Pollock's work accessible to the general public, and now the photographs in the exhibition can make Pollock's work accessible to East Texans."

In recent years, Pollock?s paintings have commanded extremely high prices. This past November, David Geffen reportedly sold his Pollock painting ?No. 5, 1948? for $140 million, which would make it the highest price paid for a painting at auction or through private sale to date.

The value that is of greater concern, according to Bailey, is the tremendous influence that Pollock?s process had on subsequent generations of American artists, many of whom are represented in The Art Center?s other inaugural exhibition, ?Modern and Contemporary American Prints from the A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. Corporate Art Collection.?

Pollock's work and his influence will be discussed by several of the foremost authorities on the artist in a symposium sponsored by the SFA School of Art on Saturday, March 3, at The Art Center.

Speakers include Bailey; Ellen Landau, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of the Humanities at Case Western Reserve University and author of the books, "Jackson Pollock" (Abrams) and "Reading Abstract Expressionism: Context and Critique" (Yale); and Helen Harrison, director of the
Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, art critic for the New York Times and author of "Such Desperate Joy: Imagining Jackson Pollock" (Thunder's Mouth Press).

Also scheduled to speak at The Art Center during the run of the exhibition is W. Jackson Rushing III, professor and associate dean of graduate studies at the University of Texas at Dallas, who has published extensively on the influence of Native American art on Pollock and other abstract
expressionists.

The exhibition and speakers are all possible because of the recent renovations completed at The Art Center, explained Shannon Bailey, SFA gallery director.

"We have maximized the building's available space and added a second floor gallery where the Pollock show will be exhibited," said Shannon. "Plus we've added multi-media equipment suitable for art lectures and symposiums. It's a wonderful addition to the SFA School of Art."

"Picturing Pollock" is a joint presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts, School of Art and University Series. It is sponsored in part by Cataract, Glaucoma & Retina Consultants of East Texas, founded by Shannon L. Smith, M.D. Additional support is provided by Texas Commission on the Arts, Nacogdoches Junior Forum and SFA Friends of the Arts.

After the Jan. 27 opening, regular gallery hours will be 12:30 to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is free and open to the public.

For more information, please call (936) 468-1131.