A five-dollar thrift store painting that might be a lost masterpiece worth tens of millions captures the polarized reactions Jackson Pollock still provokes: meaningless splatter or priceless genius. This episode traces his life from a restless Wyoming childhood and multiple high school expulsions through the influence of Mexican muralists and Native American sand painters, his move to New York in 1930, WPA work during the Depression, a lifelong battle with alcoholism, and Jungian psychotherapy that gave his inner chaos a visual vocabulary.

We break down the mechanics of the drip period from 1947 to 1950, including unprimed canvas on the floor, household enamel paint, sticks and basting syringes, and the shift from evocative titles to plain numbers. We examine Lee Krasner's essential role as editor, tutor, and career manager, the commercial  ...