Ritual

after 1951

Moves to the Sidney Janis Gallery

Pollock moved to the more commercial Sidney Janis Gallery; collectors' demand for his work was great, and under this pressure, along with personal frustration, his alcoholism deepened.

after 1951

Abandons the drip style: the “black pourings”

At the peak of his fame Pollock abruptly abandoned the drip style: after 1951 his work grew darker, including a group painted in black on unprimed canvas. These “black pourings” were shown at the Betty Parsons Gallery in New York, and none of them sold.

1952

Harold Rosenberg coins “action painting”

In a 1952 ARTnews article the critic Harold Rosenberg coined the term “action painting”; many assumed he had modelled his “action painter” on Pollock.

from 7 March 1952

First Paris exhibition at Paul Facchetti's

From 7 March 1952 the first exhibition of Pollock's works of 1948–1951 in Paris and in Europe was held at Paul Facchetti's studio, arranged through the mediation of Pollock's close friend Alfonso Ossorio and the art historian Michel Tapié.

9 april 1952 – 27 juli 1952

Exhibition: 15 Americans