Jack Pollock

Who was Jack Pollock?

Jack Henry Pollock Author, painter, art educator and art dealer who was a fixture on the Toronto art scene for over 3 decades. Pollock was the flamboyant founder and owner of The Pollock Gallery in Toronto. He was widely reputed to have a skilled eye for identifying talent in young artists and was instrumental in the careers of many notable artists that he represented including David Hockney, Susan Ross, Ken Danby, Norval Morrisseau, Roy Thomas, Catherine Senitt, Charles Pachter, Robert Bateman and Willem de Kooning.

Pollock graduated from the Ontario College of Art in 1954 and subsequently studied at the prestigious Slade School of Fine Art in London, England. Afterwards, he returned to Canada and was employed as a colour consultant for a paint company. Pollock's employment was terminated as he had a psychological breakdown which required hospitalization. It was during his time in the hospital that Pollock experienced the benefits of art therapy which led him to open the Pollock Gallery in 1960.

In 1962, while teaching art classes in Northern Ontario, Pollock met Norval Morrisseau, a local Ojibwa artist. Pollock immediately recognized the artist's genius and arranged for a solo exhibition at his gallery in Toronto. The response was a sold out show and brilliant reviews declaring Morrisseau a "genius." Morrisseau went on to become arguably one of Canada's most important artists.