There is a piece of canvas in San Diego right now that is expected to fetch a hefty price. “Art is the new currency of the super rich,” says Mark Palmer, the representative for the owners. “Everybody in America who can afford a Pollock wants to own one”, says Palmer. Jackson Pollock, who is often dubbed “Jack-the-Dripper” in the art world, died in a drunken car crash in 1956. It was reported that Pollock was with another woman at the time of the crash while his wife, Lee Krasner, a famous artist in her own right, was away in Paris.
“We are confident that as more collectors are made aware of this painting, the price will continue to climb,” states Palmer. “However, there is certainly an opportunity for a deal to be made here,” he says. “This truly is one of the most beautiful Pollocks I have ever seen. It really has all of the features that make Pollock’s drip-art style paintings so sought after. With its wide range of brilliant colors, it is sure to delight many prospective purchasers,” says Palmer.
Asked whether there are any concerns about the authenticity of the painting, Palmer replies, “we have obtained extensive authentication and condition reports from experts in this field, and have put the painting through very stringent Biological Image Testing. The type of testing that was performed does detailed color analysis and computing of over 4,000 features which are compared to other known Pollocks as well as inspired Pollocks. The expert authentications and testing performed has proven the authenticity of the piece without question”, says Palmer. The testing method that was performed on the painting has made national news with its ability to accurately spot an authentic Pollock. A recent article in the International Journal of Arts and Technology reported that the test “has demonstrated 93 to 100 percent accuracy in spotting true Pollocks”.
The painting, owned by a group of private art collectors in California, hits the art world at the right time, says Palmer. “The market is red hot and Pollock’s paintings are extremely rare.” When asked about the origin of the painting, Palmer states, “It was purchased from a New York charity who received it as a private donation decades ago. Since Pollock was well known to trade goods and services for his art work, it was no surprise that it ended up at the charity less than a hundred miles from the Pollock studio where the piece was originally created”.
Jackson Pollock was a struggling artist until he introduced his drip art style paintings in 1946. All of Pollock’s drip art style paintings were done on the floor of his East Hampton, New York studio. When Palmer was asked about who has owned the painting since its thrift shop days, he states “It has had a richly documented provenance since then.”
Detailed information of the painting is available online here.
