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If people were asked to make a mental picture of a painter working on his work of art, most of them would describe it as a person with a big canvas on a stand in front of them painting the subject which they are looking at. There were two major differences in Pollock's approach to his art compared to other artists. The first major difference was that Jackson painted on the floor. The second difference was that he used a stick instead of a brush. They would say that because they are all not exposed to different types and styles of painting. For those people who do not know much about art wouldn't know the meaning of the painting or how it was created. In some instances people say to themselves, "you call this art, my little brother could paint that." That is because they are locked into what they either see on television or learn in school. People should go beyond this limitation. People need to open their minds and hearts to accept all kinds of styles and types of paintings. They should try to interpret what the artist is trying to say through his work. Most people heard the saying, "don't judge a book by its cover." Well it is the same with art. You cannot look at a painting and judge it after looking at it for a few seconds.

When the famous 20th Century painter, Jackson Pollock, first showed his works to the public he was disapproved of by the narrow minded critics. Pollock was not your typical painter that everyone would describe in their mental picture. He did not use the same style of painting as others.Most painters place their canvas on a stand. It made it easier to reach as well as easier to see. Jackson Pollock took a different approach. He placed his full-sized canvas on the floor. He did that because it let him approach his painting from all four sides. Pollock believed that painting from all four sides would put him "inside" the painting. Many artist including Pollock believed that the paintings had a life of their own and he would just discover what that life was. So he felt that by painting on all four sides, it would help him "see" what that painting was going to become.

Jackson Pollock was not known for painting images, that's because he didn't use a brush He believed the brush would interfere with the dripping of the paint. Instead Jackson used a stick to pour paint onto the canvas. He would change the color, type of paint, and the thickness of the paint as the work progressed. Therefore, the painting would reflect the movements of his arm and body as he applied the paint. The activity of the painting would become part of the painting itself. That style of painting is called action painting. Jackson Pollock was the first "all-over" action painted just like Cernuschi stated on page 67 in his book Meaning and Significance, "He painted no image, just action." It looked like Pollock almost imitated a dance. Pollock dripped paint all over the canvas, but always had total control of where the splash of paint would be. That is how he got his nickname "Jack the Dripper."

Action painting did not have a central image. The painting is alive with colored designs, it has lines moving in different directions, going from thick to thin. This type of painting makes the eye move continually, and doesn't allow it to rest at just one particular part of the painting. Action painting is a type of abstract expressionism for which Jackson Pollock is well known. Abstract Expressionism is a type of painting movement in which the artist pours paint in an effort to show feelings and emotions (Cernuschi 236). The final work is characterized by what appears to be done by accident and chance but yet it is still highly planned. Most of the time there was no attempt to represent a subject in the painting. The significant technique of painting was considered as important as the painting itself.

In the beginning, Pollock wanted to become a sculptor. That changed when he became a student of Thomas Hart Benton. Benton taught Pollock a realistic style of painting that celebrated rural America. He urged his students to travel through the United States to "discover the local color of native American subject matter."(Cernuschi 15)

Pollock's early paintings reflect and are greatly influenced through the works of Pablo Picasso as well as Jose Clemente Orozco, through which he learned the movement of Abstract Expressionism. Also, after he married Lee Krasner in 1944 they moved to East Hampton. Moving away from the city is believed to have a freeing affect on his painting. His wife had a great influence on his painting as well. Very moved by her theories and encouragement he then began to paint with drips and giant circular motions over smaller geometric shapes. Pollock also gave his paintings numbers rather than titles to avoid distracting the viewers. He was then ready to show that technique in his exhibits.

Jackson Pollock made a painting titled Male and Female. In this painting the picture is just of a male and a female figure standing in an open area or what is perceived to be an open area. I will try to explain what Jackson Pollock is trying to portray through his paintings and what people might see when they see his paintings.

In the painting, Male and Female, the main colors illustrating the male and female are mostly black and red. The color black is very solid color and probably the most distinct color in the painting is the main color illustrating the male and the female. The color red is only present in the female's torso region mostly by the female genital area which could show that that's what the guy is seeing in her or that's what she is seeing in herself. The background colors include white and sky blue as main colors but other colors are also present. This blue could indicate the two people in complete openness such as an outdoor setting or something the two are trying to get out. In between the male and the