Jack Pollock

Jack Henry Pollock (1 August 1930 – 10 December 1992) was an 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, Arnold Shives, Charles Pachter, Robert Bateman, Robert Kost, and Willem de Kooning.

Pollock graduated from the Ontario College of Art (OCAD) 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 after he had a psychological breakdown requiring hospitalization. During his time in hospital, 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 funded by the Ontario Government, 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 Canada's most important indigenous artist.

In 1966, the National Gallery of Canada acquired a print of Pollock's Remembered Image No.82 for its permanent collection. Pollock had become well respected as an artist despite the overshadowing talent of Morrisseau. Pollock's painting styles were abstract and expressionistic. His later works were highly colourful, simple studies of scenes from his everyday life.

Although Morrisseau made Pollock famous, the artist proved troublesome at times. In 1973, Pollock found himself accused of theft by Indian Affairs of Canada employee Bob Fox who was "managing" Morrisseau on the side while the artist was incarcerated. Morrisseau had instructed Pollock to take several paintings to Toronto to be sold; Fox accused Pollock of stealing the paintings. Pollock was found not guilty of the charge and in an unusual occurrence, he was complimented at length in the resulting judgement issued by the Court.

Despite his success and Canadian art world celebrity, Pollock admitted he was not business-minded. Pollock began having serious health and financial difficulties in the late 1970s. In 1976, after having speculated on real estate located around the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) and taken on mortgages, he saw the AGO close for construction and his real estate opportunity evaporate. Under enormous financial pressure, he was admitted under psychiatric care to the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry. He recovered after 3 months and re-opened the Pollock Gallery on Scollard Street where, rather than declare bankruptcy as suggested by friends, he began to repay his debts.

In 1979, with Canadian Broadcasting Corporation personality Lister Sinclair, Pollock wrote one of Canada's more notable art books: The Art of Norval Morrisseau. Pollock figures prominently in Derek May's 1981 documentary film on the Toronto art scene, Off the Wall.

Some time around this period, Pollock developed an addiction to cocaine, which exacerbated his financial difficulties. Worse still, his relationship with Norval Morrisseau appeared to be undermined by Morrisseau's involvement with alleged mafioso Albert Volpe. Adversely affected by changing economics in the art world and Pollock's lack of business management skills, the Pollock Gallery closed for business in December, 1981. In 1982, Pollock underwent heart surgery at Sunnybrooke Hospital (Toronto, Ontario).