Convergence

Chaos and color collide in this wild burst of paint by Jackson Pollock, made in 1952. Called "Convergence," it shows off the technique that made him famous, one where he spread the canvas out flat on the floor and dripped, splashed, and poured paint onto it from above. No brush ever pressed against the surface in the usual way. Instead, tangled lines of black, white, yellow, blue, and red weave in every direction. Pollock liked to say that he felt like he was inside his paintings while he worked, moving around all four sides as he went.

The timing of this piece gives it extra weight. In 1952, Cold War worries were everywhere in America, and "Convergence" came to stand for a certain kind of freedom, the belief that an artist could break every rule and answer to no one. Pollock was a central name in Abstract Expressionism, the movement that shifted the art world's spotlight onto New York City. People react to this painting in all sorts of ways. Some see nothing but confusion, while others sense a hidden rhythm and balance underneath it all. Half the fun is figuring out which one you are.