Wylie Period 6 Team 8 Post-Modern Synthesis Question

Sigmund Freud’s findings on psychoanalysis crept upon post-modernism in the regard that post-modernist painters Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol were sizably influenced by Freud’s highly controversial philosophies and practices. One of psychology’s most important and influential figures, Freud closely studied the inner workings of the mind and the subconscious. In general, Freud fathered what is today known as the id, ego, and superego — three elements of the psyche defined by Freud as the contributing factors to human behavior’s intricacy and complexity. Freud’s breakthrough aided in the categorization of Pollock and Warhol’s subconscious, helping understand what stimulates them to paint the way they do and the underlying meaning behind it all.

An alcoholic and widely influential figure in the post-modernism art scene, Pollock became defined by his signature style of drip painting — abstract art wherein paint is haphazardly dripped or poured over canvas. Pollock’s turbulent lifestyle was split between widespread acclaim and notoriety — the latter largely due in part to his struggle with alcoholism. Although Pollock’s artwork can be generally seen as nothing more than rudimentary splotches carelessly constructed on canvas, it actually came to represent something more than abstract formations — that it wasn’t merely a coincidence that Pollock’s consuming alcoholism manifested and augmented in his paintings that wavered between agitation and social withdrawal. In futile bids to combat his consuming alcoholism, Pollock underwent psychotherapy as a possible outlet for his battle with alcohol. According to Freud’s definition of the id — predominantly fueled by pleasure — Pollock can be typified by his subconscious id and the primal need to satisfy his wants for immediate gratification.

On the other hand, Andy Warhol’s iconic contributions to pop art, ranging from Campbell’s soup cans to Marilyn Monroe, were directly linked to his subconscious yearning to beautify everything from Hollywood celebrities to everyday mundane household items. Warhol’s one-of-a-kind paintings with hues on opposite ends of the spectrum and unrealistically colored human faces gave way to the interpretation of his work as definitive of how Warhol wanted to represent his subjects according to neon colors. One of Freud’s fundamental theories about the human subconscious that was reflected in Warhol and his personal emotions and sentiments of his subjects was analogous to Pollock’s in same sense that Warhol’s obsession with fame and celebrity culture equated to the id.

Trent Kajikawa, Naomi Krieger, Daphne Liu, Wilson Muller