Fire—its primordial allure, flickering light, and raw energy—was a subject that offered much to Pollock. This image of blazing flames obscuring what appears to be a skeleton in the foreground was likely influenced by the scenes of flames and human sacrifice in José Clemente Orozco's famous mural at Dartmouth College, The Epic of American Civilization (1932-34), which Pollock had visited in 1936. Pollock used vigorous brushstrokes and rhythmic, interlocking forms to create a quasi-abstract, allover composition that anticipates, however crudely, the breakthroughs he would achieve a decade later.
Gallery label from Jackson Pollock: A Collection Survey, 1934-1954, November 22, 2015–May 1, 2016.
