Member Reviews
This biography in graphic novel form has an interesting twist. Catacchio portrays Jackson Pollock in the peak years of his fame, while he was living with Lee Krasner on Long Island. In the process he talks about Pollock's technique and how it was informed by his background.
The narrative point of view is provided by Dan, a CIA agent who moves to Long Island pretending to be working on his thesis, and seeks to cozy up to Pollock and report back on his progress. This may seem bizarre, but in fact there was a CIA operation called Long Leash that secretly backed Abstract Impressionists like Pollock with serious money, in order to dissuade American artists and art patrons from embracing Communist art. As a former cowboy from Wyoming, Pollock was the perfect unwitting front man for this clandestine operation. This was a complete revelation to me, and gives the book a very different perspective on a relatively familiar life story.
There basically are two books here - an artist biography/overview of the life of Jackson Pollock, and a book about a ridiculous project the CIA were running, focusing greatly on Pollock.
The operation was a real thing, codenamed 'Long Leash' - the CIA saw how young lefty artists and intellectuals in America were falling for Russian 'influence', and wanted to counteract by promoting American abstract and contemporary art. The CIA could count on the help of powerful people like senator Rockefeller, who already was a great fan of abstract expressionism.
Now, here you already have me. I have a great interest in the insane (and horrifying) pretzels the various secret services of the world would twist themselves during the Cold War. The idea that the ultra-conservative CIA would promote abstract art in the 40s and 50s is mouthwateringly preposterous.
The book chooses this operation as it's focal point - a CIA agent is created, who gets the mission to tail Jackson Pollock, and eventually befriend him.
And then the book becomes more biographical, which is a hard thing to do to begin with, because Pollock was famously closeguarded and unreadable.
The two stories don't really mesh very well, neither narrative is done enough justice. After the initial shock of the CIA operation, there isn't much story left to tell.
The art is serviceable. Those hoping to see a lot of Pollock's art, will probably be disappointed. (Personally I don't have a problem with this, the book is about the person first and foremost.)
In the end, I'm not entirely sure who this book is for.
Unfortunately this didn't work for me. The images didn't flow from one to the other and the facial features weren't consistent; particularly the emotions were difficult to ascertain from the faces.
Pollock Confidential is a graphic novel with a bit of history and a bit of fiction to tell the story of Jackson Pollock. Catacchio does a great job of telling the history of Pollock through the eyes of a fictional CIA agent along with beautiful art. When my family visited NYC and went to the MET the main items my daughter wanted to see where the Pollock pieces and they were amazing so it was nice to have a bit more background on the artist through this novel.
I was provided with an electronic ARC through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This unique graphic novel tells of a bizarre period in history where American modern art was used a tool by the CIA. Focussing on Jackson Pollock, Catachhio sheds light into this once rumoured secret by showing a slice of this big conspiracy while teaching the reader about this creative genius.
Pollock is one of my favourite artists so I was intrigued by this book. The artwork of the graphic novel is appealing and would be a good way to hook someone who wasn’t familiar with Pollock’s style as an introduction to learning more about his talent. By leaning towards the subterfuge of the government instead of a standard bio of an artist, this is an excellent way to generate more interest in the title.
My only criticism is that it felt a bit short, I would’ve liked it to be longer but that might be because of my own interest in the artist and the era of the art movement featured.
Depictions of Pollock's art is well done, although it could be showcased more. Some elements are confusing, such as when Mondrian discusses a painting by Pollock that is different from Mondrian's own style, but only a Mondrian painting is shown, not Pollock's. Despite the CIA angle the story is not that exciting. 1950s art style suits the subject but is not dynamic.
I enjoyed reading a biography of Jackson Pollock in graphic novel form. The narrative is told from the point of view of a CIA opperative who is assigned to the case to promote abstract expressionism and American contemporary art to counteract Communistic influences. It is a creative take on Pollock's life. With bold graphics and a complex narrative structure, it is suitable for grades 6 and up.
Advanced copy provided courtesty of #NetGalley for an honest review.
I found "Pollock Confidential" to be a well-done exploration of the later years of Pollock's life and how he influenced modern American art. The artwork was wonderful and the quotes from Pollock were used well throughout the book. Good source notes at the end.
Had you told me twenty years ago (or more) when I started reading comic books and graphic novels that I would one day be reading a graphic novel about Jackson Pollock, I probably wouldn't have believed you. Onofrio Cattacchio offers the reader beauty in this visual exploration of a unique and groundbreaking artist. This is a book to add to your shelf, for sure.