Jackson Pollock was an American painter who suffered from bipolar disorder and alcoholism for most of his life. Pollock founded the Abstract Expressionist Movement introducing a dramatic new style of painting referred to as “drip painting” or “action painting”. This style is portrayed in his painting, Number 1,(Lavender Mist). Pollock would use the force of his whole body to paint onto large unstretched canvas that was laid on the ground, using brushes and other objects to create his unique abstract work. His initial formulations of these works began when he started a new psychiatric treatment, termed Jungian therapy. As Pollock progressed with his therapy and showed significant improvement in his mental illness, he began a period of intense activity, where he achieved a level of creation that he had never achieved before.  

Image Credit:
Feature: Andrew Milligan sumo at flickr, Some rights reserved 
Body: Daniel Hartwig at flickr, Some rights reserved