Jim Pollock Question and Answer Main Page
JIM POLLOCK INTERVIEW (copyright) Jim Pollock
4/15/98
Interview questions by Student at
Ca. State Northridge, for a class project/paper
Questions revolve around the subjects of creativity and art
Q: DO YOU PERCEIVE YOURSELF AS CREATIVE?
POLLOCK: It is my view that imagination and creativity are important functions when defining the characteristics of being human--so, yes I think I am creative, as I think every other human, regardless of their position in society is endowed with creativity.
I will admit some members of society recognize and make use of this endowment more than others, but non the less, our society is largely defined by the historic layers of creative efforts of all individuals.
Q: DO YOU THINK YOUR OWN PERCEPTION AND EVALUATION OF YOUR CREATIVE ENDEAVORS ARE INFLUENCED BY THE VIEW OF OTHER PEOPLE?
DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS THAT PEOPLE MAY SEE YOUR WORK DIFFERENTLY FROM THE WAY YOU REGARD IT?
POLLOCK: I suppose it is impossible to escape outside evaluation completely unless one is totally isolated. I also think it is appropriate to assume positive feedback is powerful motivator and difficult for creative people to ignore completely. My artistic and creative endeavors are personal activities and from my point of view public approval is not needed to validate my work. As much as possible I try to ignore outside criticism.
As for how people interpret my work--the nature of some of my art is actually designed and intended to be interpreted by viewers in their own way. To some extent the viewer then becomes a co-creator.
An anecdotal note of interpretations of my work-- A teacher once presented one of my pieces of art called the IMAGE MAKER (not on my web site) to his class. He asked the students to interpret and write an essay about the image. Not one of the students developed similar interpretations of the work. I read the essays and was pleasantly surprised at the students' varied spectrum of discourses. While reading their interpretations I actually learned something new about the possibilities of my own art.
Q: WHAT IS YOUR STANDARD FOR EVALUATING YOUR OWN CREATIVE WORK AND WORKS OF OTHER PEOPLE?
POLLOCK: Evaluation of the work of others is subjective and other than for my own purposes leave that process to critics and academics.
For my own work I strive for a high level of craftsmanship. It is a constant struggle for an artist to create new things and when an idea is envisioned it is important to be able to communicate this new idea or it serves no purpose. Craftsmanship is the tool needed to communicate ideas and creative impulses to the outside world.
Q: WHAT ARE YOUR EARLIEST MEMORIES INVOLVING YOUR OWN CREATIVE EXPRESSION?
WHAT EFFECT (if any) DO YOU THINK YOUR CHILDHOOD HAS HAD ON THE CREATIVITY YOU DISPLAY AS AN ADULT?
DO YOU REMEMBER ANY SIGNIFICANT LIFE EVENTS THAT MAY HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN YOUR CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT?
POLLOCK: Drawing has been important to me ever since I can remember. When I was young, my Aunt Lottie, who was a first grade teacher, would invite me over to her house on weekends. She provided me with pencil, paper and watercolors and patiently guided and encouraged me while I drew and painted.
According to Aunt Lottie, everything I did at that early age was '"'just wonderful.'"' Some of this pre-school art of mine is still around, and anyone who sees it knows these early drawings are nothing more than normal attempts of a three or four-year-old child trying to express himself. But to me, as a young child, they were special because Aunt Lottie said they were and I believed her. I am sure this encouragement was an important influence on my continuing interest in art as I grew older.
Through grammar school and high school, I did not have any formal training in art, but I continued to draw and sketch on my own. I read books about how to draw. Sometimes I would copy cartoons from the newspapers. While in college, my training became more formal and I also learned that keeping a sketchbook is a way of making visual notes of the day to day experiences and observation.
At no time in my life did sketching play a more important role than when I had the privilege of being selected for the U.S. Army Combat Art Program. This experience of going to Vietnam as an artist was one of the defining experiences in my life.
Upon reflection, it is difficult to point out specific defining events in ones development. Every experience large and small contributes something either consciously or unconsciously.
Q: WHAT ROLE DO YOU THINK THE CULTURE THAT YOU LIVE IN PLAYS IN YOUR CREATIVE EFFORTS?
POLLOCK: I was born and raised in rural South Dakota--quite isolated from what is normally thought of as '"'creative centers.'"' It is my contention that this isolation enhanced and helped develop any creative skills I do have. Farmers and small town inhabitants out of necessity have developed a natural affinity to being creative in their every day lives without realizing it.
For example, if a farmer breaks a piece of equipment the nearest repair shop may be miles away. Rather than take a time consuming trip to purchase a new part, the farmer will look around to see what is available in the junk pile that can be modified to work as a substitute for the broken part. This is every day creativity in action--and this sort of farmer mind set of '"'how can this be done differently,'"' once it is recognized as a creative tool, can be easily transferred to the fine arts.
One's education begins when born no matter the location or culture. To live in a rural culture, a city culture, this culture or that culture--I don't think it really matters. It would be even better if one were to have multicultural experiences, it is my view that creativity is enhanced by diversity.
Q: WHAT MOTIVATES YOUR CREATIVE IDEAS AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY?
WHAT ROLE DO YOU THINK EMOTIONS PLAY IN YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
WHEN ENGAGED IN A CREATIVE ACTIVITY, DO YOU USUALLY HAVE SPECIFIC GOALS?
DO YOU THINK THAT ANY UNUSUAL THOUGHT PROCESSES ARE INVOLVED WHEN YOU CREATE SOMETHING?
DO YOU AIM YOUR CREATIVE EFFORTS AT CERTAIN GROUPS OF PEOPLE?
DO YOUR DREAMS PLAY A ROLE IN YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
POLLOCK: Exploring new artistic horizons comes naturally to most artists. I do quite a bit of experimenting. If one were to casually flip through samples of my work one might conclude from the variations of styles and subjects that it is the work of more than one artist. Not so.
Some of my images are the result of the study of nature. Some images are derived from the realm of the subjective imagination rather than being based on literal interpretations of nature.
Ideas for my art can come from almost anywhere--nature, history, emotions, other people, books and sounds. Any stimulus that leaves an impression on my conscious or unconscious mind is a potential source for an idea. I believe our minds assimilate these varied stimuli into ideas and interpretations, sometimes without conscious effort or awareness.
Some of my own art ideas are generated in a more free flowing manner from the more enigmatic subconscious. I cannot always pinpoint exactly where these intuitive ideas come from. Sometimes ideas present themselves in my mind at other times I develop images by roaming spontaneously over paper with pen and ink. This sort of idea development is creatively exciting and its potentials are limitless.
I usually work quite small when using the intuitive method of idea development. I draw impulsively and have literally thousands of these intuitive beginning sketches. For me these original idea sketches are very important. The initial sketch is the point which the creative impulse is most active. From these small sketches I scale up those ideas I choose to make into finished works of art.
Deliberate idea development, such as I use when making literal interpretations of nature, is more controllable and also requires a different sort of discipline and approach. I might utilize the following steps: First I develop my objective, next I define the subject I want, next I make preliminary studies and last I execute the final work of art.
Regardless of the methods used, I am continually ask myself if there is another way expressing this idea.
Q: DO YOU THINK THAT MONETARY REWARDS CAN BE COMPATIBLE WITH CREATIVITY IN GENERAL?
ARE MONETARY REWARDS RELEVANT TO YOUR OWN WORK?
POLLOCK: Absolutely, monetary rewards can be compatible with creativity in general. I don't wish to be repetitive, but creativity is not limited to the fine arts. Creativity is found in all people and all lines of work. Some people in the business world rely on their creativity to achieve their stated goal, which in some instances is to gain monetary rewards. Would Henry Ford have created the innovative idea of using an assembly line to produce reasonably priced automobiles if there was no monetary reward in the end?
In the fine arts field one has to be careful that monetary reward does not stifle creativity. As innovative art is produced that provides monetary reward it is easy for an artist to be trapped into repeating or simply modifying past successes rather than focusing on new creative efforts. As long as artists understand and limit such tendencies, I see no problem with a creative person receiving adequate compensation for their work.
Q: DO YOU THINK THAT CREATIVITY IS A RESULT OF GENETICS OR LEARNED ABILITIES?
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT CREATIVITY AND GENIUS GO HAND IN HAND?
POLLOCK: I don't know how much genetics influences creativity. Science is just started to study genetic influences and I think the jury is still out on this subject. Regardless of what science determines about genetic influence I believe the human spirit is designed to overcome any limitations of biology through faith, desire, courage and the persistence to create.
I believe the old cliche genius is 99% perspiration and 1% talent is quite accurate.
Q: DO YOU THINK THERE IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN YOUR SPIRITUAL OR RELIGIOUS SELF AND YOUR CREATIVITY?
POLLOCK: Sure. I believe that the creative nature of humans is a gift endowed by a higher source. The more one observes nature and notes how complex it is, ones faith there is a creator is strengthened. We should accept this gift and strive to use it to help lift humanity to a higher level.
Q: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE COMMONLY HELD NOTION THAT CREATIVITY IS LINKED TO MADNESS?
POLLOCK: I don't know anything about that.
Q: WHAT BENEFITS OR PROBLEMS MIGHT WE EXPECT WITH THE CLONING OF HIGHLY CREATIVE INDIVIDUALS?
POLLOCK: Intelligence may be a trait that can be cloned, but I would very surprised if creativity tagged along. I think creativity, like spirituality and religion, is more complex than duplicating some genes.
Q: PLEASE FINISH THIS SENTENCE: IT WOULD BE BEST IF ? PERCENT OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION WERE HIGHLY CREATIVE BECAUSE . . .
POLLOCK: I believe the world's population is creative and it would be best if they used their creative abilities for the good of all.
-End JP Interview 12-980401-