beneath the hand

Jackson Pollock paints the chaos of the unconscious, letting each stroke speak a truth without words.

Jackson Pollock was one of the most famous abstract expressionists of the 20th century. His dynamic painting style emphasized the physical act of creation, allowing subconscious impulses to emerge through motion and form. While analyzing some of Pollock’s work this week, I was drawn to a connection between Pollock and Carl Jung.

Blue Poles by Jackson Pollock, completed in 1952. About Pollock, the National Gallery of Australia writes, “Pollock felt that his painting technique reflected not only the ‘inner world’ of the unconscious but also the cultural experience of the time he was living in.”

Many of us know about Jung, the famous psychoanalyst, but did you know that Jung was also a prolific artist? During a period of personal turmoil, Jung began creating mandalas—as Jung defined them, circular designs symbolizing the psyche’s wholeness—as a means of self-expression and exploration. Jung observed that these patterns often emerged spontaneously in his own artwork and in the drawings of his patients, reflecting their inner psychological states. He documented this journey in The Red Book, illustrating his daily mandala creations.

The Red Book by Carl Jung, published in 2009. Although many of the drawings and copy of the book was created in the early 1900s by Jung, he kept it locked away out of fear that it would tarnish his reputation as a scholar (Library of Congress).

Carl Jung working at his desk in Kusnacht, Switzerland.

Both Pollock and Jung used artistic expression to tap into the depths of their unconscious minds. Pollock’s technique sought to reconnect with his subconscious and raw, primal instincts, focusing entirely on form over function. While less focused on physicality, Jung’s mandalas provided him with similar insights into his psychological state at the time of creation, opening a conversation between his conscious and unconscious minds. Pollock and Jung’s artistic expressions demonstrate that when we relinquish control, profound truths can emerge from the depths of the psyche.