Art has undergone serious transformations these days. In fact, they have reached the extent at which people are not always able to tell which is art and which is not. Well-structured forms, conventional gamut of color are no longer a must. In fact, art has grown to be increasingly more abstract and detached from the viewer, concentrating on the inner feelings of the artist.
In this light, many people may not consider Jackson Pollock`s Convergence a creation of fine art and will tend to see in it an arbitrary composition of paint.However, this viewpoint misses important things about the painting that sets it apart from compositions created by arbitrary techniques. How do we know that we are dealing with fine art? Ackland Art Museum at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill defines fine art as “art created for purely aesthetic expression, communication, or contemplation” adding that “painting and sculpture are the best known of the fine arts”. This is an important consideration: painting and sculpture are only the most famous and popular among fine arts; however, they are not the only possible forms.
Art, therefore, can take many forms, and one of them can surface in Pollock’s picture. This is not the conventional painting that is presupposed to portray a certain object or person. In fact, it is a portrayal of emotion, inner feeling, and in this sense it can simply be a different type of art from the one we are used to. Pollock’s works are transcending the boundaries of what we traditionally call art, moving into new challenging areas yet unexplored by the inquisitive human spirit. In all other respects, Jackson Pollock`s Convergence meets the criteria set forth by the scholars from the Ackland Art Museum.Its purpose is definitely “aesthetic expression, communication, or contemplation”; in fact, it combines all of the three (Ackland Art Museum, n.
d. ). The artist in the picture tries to recreate his internal world aiming at aesthetic expression. He is also trying to engage in communication with the viewer, relating his own experiences and viewpoints.
The work evokes the sense of deep aesthetic satisfaction in one familiar with form and genre of abstract art, taking pleasure in the courage of line and form in Convergence. In fact, like with most works of art, perception of abstract art requires previous preparation of the audience.Few people are ready to perceive the attraction of classical music including such arts as opera or ballet. In the same way, abstract art requires consideration of artistic principles. The commendable reviews of critics as knowledgeable experts of art are another reason to claim that Pollock’s creation is art indeed.
Dennis J. Sporre states that Pollock’s art is “often called action painting, elicits a sense of tremendous energy, actually transmitting the action of paint application to the respondent through a new concept of line and form” (Sporre, n. d. ).
Some can say that art should be understandable to all, not only professionals. However, we rely on their opinion in many important areas as well as reviews of various books, movies, paintings etc. Therefore, the passionate reviews of Pollock`s Convergence are also a reason to believe that it is art even if many people can reject to view it this way. Therefore, Jackson Pollock`s painting Convergence is art because it serves the same purposes that fine art in general: expression, communication, or contemplation.Whereas it may not fit into the traditional definition of painting, it represents a new type of fine art, one where the inner world of the painter takes precedence before representation of the external world. Art of this type requires preparedness for perception of non-traditional things.
In this sense, one can rely on the reaction of more knowledgeable critics to define whether it can be classified as art. The approving reviews give one another reason to state that Convergence is a work of art.
