Alienation in Edward Hopper’s and Jackson Pollock’s paintings: A comparison and contrast

Abstract

In this thesis I study alienation in Edward Hopper’s and Jackson Pollack’s paintings. Each of these American painters expressed alienation in his art in a distinctive way. The source of their alienation is different, too, yet they share some personality traits. While alienation in Pollock’s paintings is mainly derived from his psychological characteristics, the source of alienation in Hopper’s paintings is mostly sociological. The alienation in Hopper’s paintings is the manifestation of man’s new status in the world, which is defined by Modernity. He is warning about the situation, in which despite the superficial achievements, man is alone. And, I believe, Pollock is the offspring of that situation.