Jackson Pollock and Ruth Kligman
Jackson Pollock and his girlfriend Ruth Kligman joined the Mortal Beasts & Deities stable in 2003 to help a middle school art teacher explain the basic concepts of abstract expressionism, and to quell many student’s belief that his paintings are a con, the product of some guy trying to get rich easy.
In the classroom, Jackson gives a ‘first person’ account of the revolutionary role his work had on abstract expressionism, and how abstract expressionism impacted the art world, and how abstract expressionism caused the capitol of the art world to move west from Paris to New York. He laughs at finding that linoleum floors and kitchen cabinets and lots of other manufactured goods began to appear in the 1950′s and 60′s that copied some of his ideas and the drip motif.
Jackson and Ruth discuss his paintings, his techniques and his goals. He makes it clear that they’re not a joke, that they’re not a scam. His paintings are art AS nature as opposed to art ABOUT nature; not an artist’s perceptions of nature. His effort was to remove the artist’s decisions and allow the artist’s mind and body to be merely a conduit for nature. The drips and splashes of paint fall is nature has it fall… not as he directs it fall, so he sees his work is nature, not about nature.
Ruth in her role as the supportive girlfriend, explains about fractals found in nature and talks about the fractals that modern scientists have discovered in Jackson’s paintings. She offers numerous examples of both, starting with the repeating fractals seen in natural tree and plant structures and ending with the repeating fractals found in Jackson’s paintings.
Ruth sometimes reminds Jackson that he would have been around to join in the debate about fractals and enjoy the proceeds of his painting’s brisk sales, if he had done something about his alcoholism and mental health issues and chides him for allowing his behavior to end his career prematurely. This part can be edited out if the school wishes, along with another adaptation usually made for the classroom, which is that Jackson leaves his otherwise ever-present Lucky Strike cigarettes outside.
After an entertaining time of discovery and discussion, Jackson and Ruth work together to guide the students in the creation of a collaborative effort drip painting, which is always a popular and freeing project with students.
Following the painting exercise, the puppeteers often remove their puppet heads to reveal themselves, and lead a presentation about the larger than life puppetry of the Mortal Beasts & Deities. The sculpture in the round and improvised theater combination offers explorations of form, space, time, fantasy and narrative. With the Powerpoint presentation, this group discussion can add a whole new dimension to the student’s definition of the arts, and can’t help but expand their artistic horizons.
Jackson and Ruth’s puppet heads are constructed of papier mache, like all Mortal Beasts & Deities puppets.
To overcome sound projection difficulties always associated with enveloping a puppeteer’s head in papier mache, Jackson and Ruth have sound tube megaphone funnels built into their heads at the ears and mouths, modeled after ancient Greek theatrical masks. These sound adaptations work best with small groups, but still need electronic amplification for larger groups.
Originally Jackson Pollock and Ruth performed in the art classroom of Sharon Center School in northwestern Connecticut. They also took an abbreviated version of their show to Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MassMoCA) in North Adams Massachusetts and Project Troubador music festival in Lakeville Connecticut with great success.
Jackson and Ruth have now retired to the Hamptons.
