JACKSON POLLOCK | Time line

Jackson Pollock is widely regarded as one of America’s most influential artists of the 20th century. He was an integral part of the New York City art scene and painted in 1950 “Silver and Black,” which went on display Saturday at the Butler Institute of American Art. A brief look at the artist’s life:

1928: Sixteen-year-old Pollock is introduced to abstract art at Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles.

1933: Joins a stone-carving class in New York City, then renders small sketches for murals. Two years later, he’s hired at $1.75 per hour to restore public monuments.

1942: Exhibits “Birth in American and French Paintings” in New York. The exhibition also includes works by Picasso, Henri Matisse and Stuart Davis.

1945: Solo exhibition in Chicago features eight drawings and 17 of his paintings. Numerous solo shows follow.

1952: Dissatisfied with slow sales, Pollock moves from the Betty Parsons Gallery in New York to the nearby Sidney Janis Gallery, where he has several more solo exhibitions. He also shows eight paintings at a show at the Museum of Modern Art.

1956: Killed Aug. 11 when his vehicle strikes a tree during a drunken-driving accident on Long Island, N.Y.

Source: “Jackson Pollock” by Kirk Varnedoe