Jacksonpollock.org
41 comments
·February 8, 2025Zanni
Fun, but more suggestive of Steadman (illustrator of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and other things) than Pollock: https://www.npr.org/2014/04/27/307285367/artist-ralph-steadm...
serf
I disagree.
Pollock used a lot of connected ink splotches, Steadman's 'inkling' stuff is usually large white-space separated splotches, an effect that is impossible with this tool.
also Steadman moved away from that eventually, whereas Pollock leaned into it until death.
Moreover Pollocks' art was the splotches, whereas it was usually an accoutrement for Steadman around a different -- usually framed -- perspective.
pkdpic
Agreed, super cool project. All it seems like it would need for a full pollock vibe would be a color palette selector. And maybe this audio track on loop and a transparent overlay of animated cigarette smoke. Great url.
femto
On a tangent, the floor of Pollock's studio is an artwork in its own right:
https://aaqeastend.com/contents/aaq-portfolio-jackson-polloc...
tolerance
I know it’s early but it’s funny to note the difference between the comments here so far and what the discussion was like in 2020:
aqueueaqueue
There is a question as to whether it used SWF back in the day. It is likely but also would Java Applets have still been an option then?
randall
wow. that’s awesome. i don’t understand why but i’m happy.
msla
Here's a topic I don't see people engaging with: I could in principle make the same kinds of completely abstract paintings Pollock did, but if I do it, it won't be art because I'm not in the art world. I have no access to galleries, I have no patrons, and I generally don't move in those circles, so I have no ability to be taken seriously for doing it.
plufz
Do you think simply copying a 70 year old idea would make you a world famous artist if you had more connections in art?
(Not that abstract painting really describes what made Pollock famous, action painting is obviously it.)
msla
> Do you think simply copying a 70 year old idea would make you a world famous artist if you had more connections in art?
No, I meant like Pollock in terms of being completely non-representational.
milesrout
Yes. The comments in 2020 were more thoughtful, more interesting and more critical. All are good things.
Jackson Pollock's "art" is of low quality. Am I sneering? Yes. Sadly it seems art is like coinage: the good is pushed out by the bad.
Cool website though. Really serves to prove how much of a nonentity Pollock was: anyone can make the same "art".
daneel_w
Of things like these my father, a lover of all things art and photography, would say: "It doesn't matter that it's bad, and it doesn't matter that anyone can do it; he was the one who did it first."
yieldcrv
It looks like people are more appreciate of everyone’s ability to express themselves adequately and garner influence to share
very onbrand with how this debate has gone so far!
I’m glad
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cattown
People seem confused about the UI. You don't need to click, just move. Most keys on the keyboard correspond to a color. Shift + those keys sets the background.
I like it that there's no hint, it just rewards exploration and experimentation.
cactusplant7374
Clicking changes the color too.
julianz
It's cool, but that's definitely a Ralph Steadman background generator, much more than Pollock.
every
I find it interesting that Pollock was a student of the American Regionalist Thomas Hart Benton[1]. No two artists could have been more unalike...
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Hart_Benton_(painter)
antgonzales
Jackson Pollock's style evolved throughout his life. The Whitney had a show with his early works and it's nothing like his splatter painting style we all know[1].
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/nyregion/a-review-of-men-...
adamredwoods
I absolutely love this and here's why: many people who criticize art as being "child's doodles" lack the experience and process of art. Education raises all boats. This is that type of simple education.
So now, I hope every here tries to make their own Pollock art.
hifikuno
Hah! I waited far too long for the page to load. It wasn't until I moved my mouse to another window that I realized.
vasco
My portrait https://imgur.com/a/SKrexZb
Sn0wCoder
The Paper.js library is neat if you like this site (found it looking through the source). http://paperjs.org/
CaramelGrudge
I’ve played a lot with this years ago. Could have been between 10 and 15 years back even! Didn’t know it still existed. Thanks for sharing
Fun! Reminds me of spending a week in 2012 trying to find the perfect blackboard chalk effect http://mmoustafa.com/experiments/chalk/
After many experiments, the most realistic was painting a thick line and then erasing tiny randomly sized rectangles out of it.