8. The Death Of Jackson Pollock
In October 1945, Pollock married the American painter Lee Krasner. In November, they moved out of the city to the Springs area of East Hampton. Pollock converted the barn into a studio. In that space, he perfected his big “drip” technique of working with paint. On August 11, 1956, at 10:15 pm, Pollock died in a single-car crash in his Oldsmobile convertible while driving under the influence of alcohol. One of the passengers, Edith Metzger, was also killed in the accident, which occurred less than a mile from Pollock’s home. The other passenger, Ruth Kligman, an artist and Pollock’s mistress, survived.