Regarded as the “greatest living painter” during his lifetime, Jackson Pollock spearheaded the Abstract Expressionist movement by developing an energetic, radical style that changed the way we think about art today. The germinal American painter electrified the art world in the mid-1940s with his “drip” paintings—refusing to paint on an upright surface, as most had done before him, explaining, “This way I can walk around it, work from the four sides and literally be in the painting.” This style of physical “action painting” altered the course of modern art, influencing multiple movements and people, including our co-founder, Bobby Hundreds.
Jackson Pollock is one of Bobby Hundreds’s favorite artists: “His questioning of the paintbrush itself and how it was to be used challenged tradition and offered new insight as to what art could be,” Bobby says. “You’d think that after centuries of artistic exploration, there’d be nothing new under the sun in terms of technique. But, pushed to the edge—both in medium and personal life—Jackson Pollock stumbled onto a new frontier. He recast painting for another generation of artists to dismantle, debate, and develop.”
Pollock and his wife, the painter Lee Krasner, moved from New York City to a rural homestead in East Hampton, New York in 1945. He painted his most famous all-over abstractions on the floor of a small barn on the property. The building was winterized in 1953, and the floor was covered with Masonite. When the property became a museum—the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center—the Masonite was removed to reveal the brilliant colors and dynamic gestures that spilled over the edges of his action paintings.
A detail from Pollock’s paint-splattered studio floor appears as a graphic element throughout The Hundreds collection, which includes a canvas work jacket, a series of printed T-shirts, headwear, a skateboard deck, an ash tray, shorts, and a puzzle. Highlights include a Modernica fiberglass shell chair, printed with Jackson Pollock’s studio floor all-over graphic.
“I have no fear of making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through.” -Jackson Pollock
The The Hundreds x Jackson Pollock capsule collection will be available starting July 7th, at The Hundreds flagship stores, Online Shop, and select authorized retailers worldwide.
About The Hundreds
The Hundreds is a 2-part project that houses a Classic Californian Streetwear brand and media platform dedicated to Global Street Culture. Founded by Bobby Kim (Bobby Hundreds) and Ben Shenassafar (Ben Hundreds) in 2003, the Los Angeles-based company incorporates their trademark attitude and personal perspective on street subculture, with an emphasis on people over product. The Hundreds clothing encompasses T-shirts, denim, wovens, fleece, headwear, and outerwear. Much of the brand narrative is told through collaborations, with partners like Disney, adidas, and Garfield. Currently, The Hundreds is stocked worldwide, with flagship locations in L.A.’s Fairfax District (est. 2007), San Francisco’s Union Square (est. 2008), and SoHo, New York (est. 2010).
