A look at Jackson Pollock Through Mathematics and Science:

By Thomas Blakely 
To create his certainly unique works of art, Jackson Pollack would lie a canvas on the floor and use a stick or trowel to drip, splatter, and coil paint onto the canvas.  A new scientific take on the work of Pollock called Pollock: Physics Today analyzes research on Pollock's work and style through fluid physics.  Researchers sought to discover the method behind his works using various viscosity of paint and the unprecedented use of gravity to obtain the style, splashes, and coils seen only within his work.  Researchers discovered through the management of paint flow and height above the canvas, Pollock made various types of paint compositions and sizes.  The mathematical and physical study into this type of fluid science had not been around until after Pollock's works had been finished.  Pollock's use of fluid dynamics to create art predates the ability of physicists to mathematically model the same process.

Another use of mathematics and science to analyze the work of Jackson Pollock are the rules of fractal geometry.  Fractal geometry has been defined as "a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts, each of which is a reduced-size copy of the whole, a property called self similarity.  Pollock's paintings were viewed and seen to contain similar aspects and dimensions like the natural colors found in trees, clouds, coastline etc.  The use of fractal geometry was also thought to aid in the determination between real and fake Pollock paintings.  However, case scientists found that this cannot be verified due to the inability to magnify Pollack paintings to an extent in which fractal geometry can be analytically applied. 

The ability of the works of Jackson Pollock to generate debate in both the art and science communities is quite interesting.  His paintings leave interpretation entirely up to the viewer which makes the scientific analysis of these works to be very one sided and directional.  Although science has sought to explain methods and structure or art, it will never be able to fully explain and understand its emotional ideas and composition.



Interesting article for the blog from the New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/07/12/100712fa_fact_grann