Jackson Pollock at Work in his Studio

Hans Namuth’s (1915-1990, b. Essen, Germany) photographs of Jackson Pollock in his studio are among the most iconic images associated with the New York school of Abstract Expressionist painting. Images of Pollock painting have been pivotal to the argument, championed by critic Harold Rosenberg, that Abstract Expressionist painting is as much a performance as it is a finished object.

Namuth, born in Germany, spent his early life engaged in politics and the fine arts. While his father joined the Nazi party in 1931, Namuth joined the liberal-leaning German Youth Movement. In 1933, when Namuth was arrested for distributing anti-Nazi materials, his father arranged for him to be sent to Paris. During his initial exile in Paris, Namuth was introduced to photography and photojournalism. As WWII tensions increased, Namuth was interned and joined the French Foreign Legion to avoid extended imprisonment, before escaping to the US in 1941. He was drafted for the War in 1943, where he worked as an interpreter and interrogator for the intelligence services. He left the Army in 1945 after the war, having been awarded the Purple Heart and Croix de Guerre. Living in New York, he returned to photography full-time and studied with Alexey Brodovitch, Art Director of Harper’s Bazaar, who introduced Namuth to many important art world figures, including Jackson Pollock.

Namuth met Pollock in the summer of 1950 at an opening of a group exhibition on Long Island. Namuth followed up with a visit to Pollock’s studio in nearby Springs, NY, taking more than 500 photographs of the artist in his studio from July to October of that year and capturing Pollock’s iconic “drip painting” technique. Namuth’s documentation of Pollock changed the way the public viewed the artist and his work. The photographs Namuth took between July and October of 1950 yield key insights into Pollock’s inventive process, and changed the direction of Namuth’s career. After his work with Pollock, Namuth continued photographing creatives at work.
Autumn Rhythm and that One is hanging on the wall behind him. These are likely Autumn Rhythm (Number 30), in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and One: Number 31, 1950, in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The photograph offers a special glance into the gestation of two of the most famous paintings of the New York School, unstretched, and in progress. Pollock’s upper arm is tensile, while his wrist seems to grip the brush more loosely, suggesting the careful balance of chance and control, in the gradual build-up of layers and compositional deliberations.

The AMAM owns five screenprints and one overpainted engraving by Pollock and no works by Krasner. These photographs join other portraits of artists in their studios, including a photograph of Willem de Kooning, a contemporary and friend of Pollock and Krasner.