Action Jackson

Bibliography

Greenberg, Jan and Sandra Jordan. 2002. Action Jackson. Ill. By Robert Andrew Parker. Brookfield, CT: Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 978-0312367510

Plot Summary

Action Jackson chronicles a time period in Jackson Pollock’s life when he painted Lavender Mist using his famous drip method. He started by spreading a canvas on the ground. Unlike other artists, he did not cover his canvas with white paint or use oil paint or watercolor. He preferred to let the ordinary house paint soak through and leave bare patches peeking through. When he painted, he used his whole body to create movement. He was like an athlete with a paintbrush. He didn’t finish the painting all at once. He believed that, “the painting has a life of its own.” After completing his mesmerizing painting, he returned to his normal routine at home with his wife.

Critical Analysis

On the first page, the author explains that some of the book is imagined. No one knows exactly what transpired on a daily basis during the time Jackson was painting Lavender Mist. The author did base the story on many firsthand reports. In the Notes and Sources section, he references the exact quotes that he used to construct the story.  He also included a bibliography. The back of the book also includes a 2 page biography detailing Jackson’s upbringing and struggles. It includes a few small pictures of Jackson and some of his artwork.

The book has a logical, chronological sequence. It gives a snapshot of an important time period in Jackson Pollock’s life. The simple watercolor illustrations help paint the picture of Jackson’s life.

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal: “This is an exemplary picture-book biography, with lyrical prose and appealing illustrations that capture the moods of its subject, plus fascinating biographical details, photographs, and source notes.”

Publisher’s Weekly: “Whether capturing the intensity of the creative process and the artist's unique choreography or the spare vistas of sea and sky near the artist's Long Island home, Parker's impressionistic pen-and-watercolor illustrations pay homage to the painter's sweep of line and color ("energy and motion made visible," to quote Pollack).”

Connections

*Students can examine some of Jackson Pollock’s artwork and write about how it makes them feel.

*Students can create their own Jackson Pollock inspired artwork.

*Other biographies about artists:

·         Winter, Jeanette. Henri’s Scissors. ISBN 978-1442464841.

·         Rosenstock, Barb. The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art. ISBN 978-0307978486.

·         Winter, Jeanette. My Name Is Georgia: A Portrait by Jeanette Winter. ISBN 978-0152045975.