Pollock

Who's the greatest drummer

in the world?

Krupa.

- You got it.

- That guy cooks.

Damn right I got it.

F*** Picasso.

That f***in' guy.

F***in' guy--

F***in' guy's done it all.

- You're doing good work.

- No, I'm not.

I'm not worth sh*t.

- It's not worth sh*t, Sande.

- Get on your feet.

We're having a child, Sande.

He's my brother.

I'm not going to put up

with it anymore.

...statedyesterday that his patience

with Japan was nearly exhausted.

After nearly two weeks

of negotiations...

in Washington between Japanese

and American officials...

Secretary of State Hull

declared...

that another Japanese military move

into Thailand or elsewhere...

would not be tolerated.

The effect of the statement--

It's hot.

In other news,

the first complete--

Jackson Pollock?

I'm Lee Krasner.

We're in John Graham's show

together.

You working?

Pretty big-time stuff, to be hanging

with Picasso and Braque and that kind.

I thought I knew all

the abstract artists in New York...

and I don't know

Jackson Pollock.

Here's a name

I've never heard of.

So, being cheeky,

I just hoofed it over here.

I could come back

another time.

No, it's okay.

Could I see your work?

I don't know what I expected,

but my God.

- Who do you study with?

- Nobody.

Did you ever?

Thom Benton.

You don't paint

anything like Benton.

Carl Jung and John Graham

helped me get over Benton.

Which one are you showing?

That one.

I'm not sure

I'm finished with it.

I don't think

you should touch it.

I'd like it if you would come

to my studio. Would you?

Yeah. Sure.

- I'm just around the corner. Would you?

- Yeah.

Thanks.

It's 23.

Twenty-three East Ninth.

Really, yes.

You don't have to give me a "when."

Just pop on over.

When you said you'd come by, I didn't

think it would take three weeks.

It hasn't been three weeks.

To the day.

It's not mine.

I didn't do it.

Ex-lover.

That one I did--

ten years ago.

Interesting.

"To whom

shall I hire myself out?

What beast must I adore?

What holy image is attacked?

What hearts must I break?

What lie must I maintain?

In what blood tread?"

Part of Rimbaud's

Seasonin Hell.

That's the one I'm putting

in the Graham show.

That's a damn good picture.

That works.

You're a damn good woman painter.

- You want coffee?

- Yeah, sure. Thanks.

- Let's go.

- What?

You don't think

I make it here?

I met you before,

you know.

It was maybe five years ago.

A loft dance.

You were six sheets

to the wind.

You cut in.

You stepped all over my feet.

Oh, yeah.

Got it. Right.

You were falling

all over me.

I'm sorry.

You were overseas, you know?

It's kind of vivid in my memory.

I thought if you remembered...

to let you know it was okay.

Thanks.

Really.

When did you study with Benton?

'31 .

The Art Students League?

My brother Charles

was studying with Benton...

and so I came out and...

joined him.

Where are you from?

Arizona.

Actually, California.

I'm from Brooklyn.

I was just gonna ask you

where you were from.

My parents came over from Russia.

I'm from right here.

Russia.

Potatoes.

Thanks.

Did you people eat like this

all the time?

How long will you be

in the city, Mrs. Pollock?

For a spell.

We've asked Mother to come

live with us in Connecticut.

Sande found out they're thinking of

drafting married men with children...

who aren't involved

in war production.

I took a job in Connecticut.

Deep River.

Making gliders for the army.

That's great, Sande.

That's swell.

Congratulations.

Not everyone can arrange

to be 4-F,Jack.

Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa--

No one greater.

- Harry James on trumpet.

- The apartment will be all yours, Jack.

You'll have lots of space.

Is this the best hotel

you could find?

- What's she doing here?

- Lee's going to take you home.

- What's she doing here?

- You need to get cleaned up.

Give him some milk

and some eggs.

- Okay.

- Come on.

Thank you.

You've got to see his work.

No one is doing

what Pollock is doing.

Yes, of course.

It would be just great

if you could stop by.

Wonderful.

We'll look forward to it. Bye.

Jackson, breakfast

is on the table.

Lee!

Reuben.

Hello.

Lee Krasner, Howard Putzel.

How nice to meet you.

Howard's been working

with Peggy Guggenheim.

Howard. Of course.

Reuben's here

with Howard Putzel.

He works with Peggy Guggenheim.

When did you get back?

What the hell.

Thought you were in Los Angeles.

- They got me stationed in Brooklyn.

- Look at you!

Jackson, this is Howard Putzel.

I am so very pleased

to meet you.

I've known this guy

since high school.

I met Howard in Los Angeles before

he hooked up with Peggy in Paris.

- Please, right this way.

- We ran into each other yesterday.

How are Barbara and the kids?

They're good. They're coming out

in a couple of weeks.

- How long you here for?

- I don't know.

They say they're gonna ship me

out to India, but who knows.

- What about you?

- 4-F.

Too neurotic.

You dog.

Genius.

Peggy must see this.

How are you?

I'm so glad you made it.

Lee Krasner, Jackson Pollock--

-James Johnson Sweeney from the Modern.

- Nice to meet you.

- Miss Peggy Guggenheim.

- Hello.

Mr. Pollock, Howard

has been talking about you.

Thank you, Howard.

- You must see Jackson's work.

- Yes. Well, enjoy yourselves.

- I like those earrings.

- Thank you.

It's great, Howard.

But there's not one American painter

in the whole goddamn show.

What's this?

I see the head...

the body--

This isn't cubism, Jackson...

because you're not really

breaking down the figure...

into multiple views.

You're just showing us

one side.

What is this? Free association?

Automatism?

I'm just painting, Lee.

But what you're doing,

Jackson--

Don't tell me you don't know

what you're doing.

Are you experimenting

with surrealism?

Is this a dream?

Even if it's a dream,

it's still what you see.

It's life.

You're not just randomly

putting paint on the canvas.

You're painting something.

You can't abstract

from nothing.

You can only abstract from life--

from nature.

I am nature.

If you only work from inside yourself,

you'll repeat yourself.

Why don't you paint

the f***ing thing.

"The moon shone bright

on Mrs. Porter and on her daughter.

Washed their feet in soda water."

What the hell's that?

Eliot. T.S. Eliot.

Gentlemen, T.S. Eliot.

Did you hear Gorky

sold to the Modern?

Gorky's a cow.

They forage and eat and come back

in the stable and they're still chewing.

He'll go look at a Picasso

for hours...

go back to his studio

and spit it out.

- F*** him.

- But he's so good at it.

Yeah, he's good at it,

but we gotta break through that sh*t.

- What do you think of Kline?

- Kline's a whore.

- Picasso?

- A has-been.

De Kooning?

He's all right.

He's learning.

What do you think

of Jackson Pollock?

That's what we think.

Watch it!

Come on.

I have just climbed up and down

five flights of stairs.

I'm Peggy Guggenheim.

I do not climb up five flights

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