As the exhibition ended and the mural was completed, Pollock fell into a deep depression and began to drink heavily again. One day, Hoffman was visiting Pollock with two students, and before he could get there, he heard a loud bang and a broken easel was thrown down the stairs. Hoffman picks it up and brings it back to the studio, where he finds Pollock in a terrible state. When Hoffman asks him why he threw the easel, Pollock begins to rant: "I hate easels, I hate art!" ”
While inextricably linked to Pollock, his fame in the art world rose steadily. He rarely advertises himself, and there is no need for this, someone has already done it for him. One of his supporters was his friend Robert Motherwell, who had also exhibited at the Century Art Gallery. In February 1944, in an interview with a magazine about Pollock, he said: "Certain people represent an opportunity for the artistic development of the younger generation," and Motherwell said rather seriously, "most of those people have failed." Sickness, early death, hunger, alcoholism, and depression have left most people in this historical moment behind. The standards are so strict that only five of these young people make it to the end. While he didn't name who the other four were, he made it clear that Pollock was one of the five who "made it to the end."
Another supporter was James Johnson Sweeney, one of the members of the Museum of Modern Art's purchasing group. It took him some time to convince the museum to buy Pollock's The Wolf. Elfred Barr undoubtedly had the same intention, but thought the $650 sticker was too expensive. The museum asked Peggy if she would sell the painting for $450, but Peggy refused, so the deal was not negotiated. In April 1944, Sweeney wrote an essay on modern art, accompanied by a coloring illustration of The Wolf, and the museum reconsidered the purchase of the painting. On May 2, Pollock received a telegram: "It is my great pleasure to tell you that today the museum paid $600 for that painting of the wolf. Love you Peggy Guggenheim. ”
It was the first time Pollock had sold a piece to a museum, and the first time in the decade that Benton had bought Pollock's work to supplement his life. Pollock was happy to be able to sell his paintings, of course, but he was not excited about the financial status given to him by selling his paintings. "I only get $150 a month from the gallery, which is not enough," he wrote to Challis, "I will definitely sell a lot of works a year and earn more than $150." This week, the newspaper revisited the painting purchased by the Museum of Modern Art, hoping to further boost the sale. ”
Motherwell once referred to Pollock as an artist he knew of who "talked more about money than about art." Indeed, Pollock was keen on money. Part of the reason is that he is so poor, he has never been rich since he was a child, and now he doesn't even have a telephone. Pollock didn't know if he would be able to support himself if he didn't make a living selling paintings, and he didn't even know what to do if Peggy Guggenheim didn't renew his contract a year later. Does he have to find a job? What can he do? In the spring of 1944, Peggy Guggenheim signed him to a contract extension for the same $150 a month, and Pollock relented. Although dissatisfied with the financial status offered to him by the gallery, Pollock was willing to renew his contract with the gallery. Sander wrote to Challis: "Because it enables him to paint, he cannot complain. ”
As summer approached, Lee suggested that they rent a room in Livingston, Massachusetts. The house they rented was behind a shopping street, and it was noisy every day, but it didn't stop them. They walked along the dunes, swam in the sea, and collected shells. Moreover, Pollock gets along well with the landlady and helps her with the gardening almost every day.
Such a peaceful life was rare for Pollock, and his good mood was rare. Ignoring Lee's objections, he invited his brother Sander's family and their mother to come here for two weeks at the end of August.
Painter Wang Yancheng shares with you the beauty of modern art......