Pollock Confidential: A Graphic Novel

by Onofrio Catacchio

Forceful, tempestuous and visionary – in an incredibly short and turbulent life Jackson Pollock changed painting forever. This vivid graphic novel delves into his pioneering physical approach to making art, highlights the key characters surrounding the New York mid-century art scene, and reveals the intriguing relationship between Pollock's painting and the covert activities of the Cold War.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Art, Biography, Nonfiction, Comics

112 pages, Hardcover

First published October 3, 2019

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life of Jackson Pollack told through the eyes of a CIA agent assigned to monitor Pollack. The CIA agent is fictional but the program is not. Long Leash was the program started by the CIA after World War II to promote American art as the Soviets were seen as having much more cultural influence at the time. The spy angle gave the book an interesting tilt into the life of a man who was notoriously guarded. It's a quick read for a public figure I always wondered about.

Received a review copy from Laurence King Publishing Ltd. and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 3 out of 5]

There basically are two books here - an artist biography/overview of the life of Jackson Pollock, and a book about a ridiculous project the CIA were running, focusing greatly on Pollock.

The operation was a real thing, codenamed 'Long Leash' - the CIA saw how young lefty artists and intellectuals in America were falling for Russian 'influence', and wanted to counteract by promoting American abstract and contemporary art. The CIA could count on the help of powerful people like senator Rockefeller, who already was a great fan of abstract expressionism.

Now, here you already have me. I have a great interest in the insane (and horrifying) pretzels the various secret services of the world would twist themselves during the Cold War. The idea that the ultra-conservative CIA would promote abstract art in the 40s and 50s is mouthwateringly preposterous.

The book chooses this operation as it's focal point - a CIA agent is created, who gets the mission to tail Jackson Pollock, and eventually befriend him.

And then the book becomes more biographical, which is a hard thing to do to begin with, because Pollock was famously closeguarded and unreadable.

The two stories don't really mesh very well, neither narrative is done enough justice. After the initial shock of the CIA operation, there isn't much story left to tell.

The art is serviceable. Those hoping to see a lot of Pollock's art, will probably be disappointed. (Personally I don't have a problem with this, the book is about the person first and foremost.)

In the end, I'm not entirely sure who this book is for.

(Kindly received an ARC from Laurence King Publishing through Netgalley)

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

The creator tries to spice up a pedestrian biography of the famous painter by having it narrated by a fictional CIA agent checking up on Pollock during the Cold War as part of a long leash operation to promote abstract expressionism and American culture over the Soviets.

Apparently, this is a real thing! The CIA is made up of art lovers!

But rather than delve into the history of the operation very deeply or examine the ramifications of Pollock's fame being the result of a propaganda machine, we're basically told that Pollock was talented, he was a drunk, now he is dead, and the made-up CIA spy feels bad about that.

The art is highly photo-referenced in places. Some facts seem like they are not well researched, like a conflation of the Met and MOMA into the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art for example, though that may have been a problem with the translation from the original Italian.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Pollock Confidential: A Graphic Novel' with story and art by Onofrio Catacchio is an unbalanced look at the life of the famous painter.

'Operation Long Leash' was dreamed up by the CIA as a method to battle communism by promoting American abstract art. This graphic novel starts with an agent, who is fictional, working with a museum to borrow one of Pollock's works for a state-sponsored exhibit. Along the way, some biographical info is given about the painter, including his death.

I liked the framing story, but at some point that device ends, and then the book becomes more straight up bio. I wish the author had structured the story a bit better. There is an interesting afterword about the artist and notes about the writing of the story. The art is pretty good, and I like some of the interesting angles of Pollock at work.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Laurence King Publishing Ltd. and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Pollock Confidential is a graphic novel biography of a period of Jackson Pollock's life. Originally published in 2018, this English translation released 7th April 2020 by Laurence King is 112 pages and available in hardcover format.

This biography takes a look via flashbacks and interludes at Pollock's influence and interactions with the CIA during operation "long leash" as part of the American cultural cold war with the Soviet Union. It was a relationship of which I was previously unaware although the broad strokes of his life, battles with substance abuse, and insecurities I had already known about. A fair bit of the biography narrative is fictionalised, but the framework is there.

The art is quite good, the recognizable major players are displayed against monotone backgrounds of some of Pollock's work as well as having some of the story panels inset into color versions of his work. The art is quite good and the text translation is seamless.

Four stars. A quick, interesting, and worthwhile read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bel riassunto della vita di Pollock raccontata attraverso gli occhi di Dan Adkins, l'agente della CIA che lo spiava per il governo americano.
Dan Adkins è un personaggio inventato, ma la CIA aveva messo gli occhi su alcuni artisti americani e le loro nuove correnti, con l'intento di tramutarle in propaganda americana. Pollock era tra i prescelti.
Come spesso accade, più l'artista è grande più l'uomo è tribolato. La graphic novel ripercorre i momenti salienti nella storia del pittore.

[M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really delighted to the perspective of learning more about the artist, but found that the CIA backstory didn't fit that much with the subject, even if it was an historical fact... I didn't like that approach. I would have preferred to get much more insights about his personal and professional lives, as I felt that book was just an overview of it all. A linear chronology would have been great too. I wasn't fond of the art either. The positive thing is that I realized i wanna know much more about this artist!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Laurence King Publishing for this advance copy <3

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars for the design and illustrations of this graphic novel. The storyline is very thin and if you already know Pollock's biography it won't add a thing to your knowledge. I've heard about the CIA promoting abstract art before now, but the book has made me wonder whether it involved anything more than simply funneling money into exhibitions. The book's CIA character is complete fiction, so I'll have to look elsewhere for information.

[Chloë · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting graphic novel about the life of the conflicted artist Jackson Pollock told through the eyes of a CIA agent. While this agent is fictional, the historical CIA program 'Long Leash is not. This project to fund American abstract artists in order to battle communism was something I never knew about, despite having learnt about Pollock in school.

In a blend of fact and fiction, this story gave me a bigger insight into Pollock, his life, and his art. It's an enjoyable, fast read. I liked the illustrations, although I personally didn't love the colour palette.

I'd like to thank Laurence Kind Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

* I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book. *

This biography in graphic novel form has an interesting twist. Catacchio portrays Jackson Pollock in the peak years of his fame, while he was living with Lee Krasner on Long Island. In the process he talks about Pollock's technique and how it was informed by his background.

The narrative point of view is provided by Dan, a CIA agent who moves to Long Island pretending to be working on his thesis, and seeks to cozy up to Pollock and report back on his progress. This may seem bizarre, but in fact there was a CIA operation called Long Leash that secretly backed Abstract Impressionists like Pollock with serious money, in order to dissuade American artists and art patrons from embracing Communist art. As a former cowboy from Wyoming, Pollock was the perfect unwitting front man for this clandestine operation. This was a complete revelation to me, and gives the book a very different perspective on a relatively familiar life story.

[John Duggan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and beautiful glimpse into Jackson Pollock and his painting.. This Graphic Novel is well written from the perspective of a CIA agent attached to monitoring Pollock. The art is gorgeous (not just the Pollock paintings).

would recommend for fans of Art, history, the CIA..

[Vivienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thanks to Laurence King Publishing for a temporary digital edition via NetGalley of ‘Pollock Confidential’ by Onofrio Catacchio in exchange for an honest review.

“He danced around the canvas, rocking back and forth like a drunk or a shaman in a trance. He stopped only when he ‘felt’ he was done-and for him, in that moment, the piece was complete.” - Onofrio Catacchio.

Catacchio has framed this graphic novel about the life, work, and tragically early death of Jackson Pollock through the reminiscences of Dan Adkins, a retired C.I.A. agent, who in 1948 had been assigned to surveil Jackson Pollock and his wife, Lee Krasner while they were living on Long Island.

Agent Dan Adkins poses as a history student there to work on his thesis and he positions himself to be befriended by the couple. He is able to observe Pollock at work and listen to his stories of his upbringing and early career.

I am a huge fan of Jackson Pollock’s work and like Adkins could spend hours gazing at his paintings when I have encountered them in art museums. This was an amazing graphic novel that was informative and captured a strong sense of Pollock’s dynamic approach to his art.

Onofrio Catacchio illustrations are excellent along with his depiction of Pollock’s restless energy that was the hallmark of his splatter painting style. He uses many of Pollock’s own words throughout the work.

Although Agent Adkins is fictional, the covert operation detailed was real. I was marginally aware of the C.I.A.’s covert activities in secretly promoting Abstract Expressionism during the Cold War from my own studies of art history.

Following the text, Onofrio Catacchio provides a short list of sources and resources for Pollock’s life and details of the book that documented the C.I.A.’s weaponising of modern art during the Cold War. It’s a fascinating subject.

I would love to own the hardback edition of this graphic novel and may pick up a copy in due course.

[Laura Evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited going into this graphic novel, pulled in by the cover which I thought was really creative and striking, and also by the topic of covering Pollock. As a design student I studied him at points when taking art at college and so have learnt a lot about him in that short time, also watching the 2000 film and also the film, mentioned in the graphic novel, by Hans Namuth and Paul Falkenburg in 1951. Though I thought I had known a good amount about the artist I was not aware of Operation Long Leash, which the graphic novel follows. It was very intriguing to hear about, though I feel that the novel only really scratches the surface of what I was expecting to read about on this topic. The story follows an agent who watched Pollock during this time, though I was disappointed to hear he was only a character of fiction at the end of the novel. It would have been great to get a bit more information about the operation throughout the novel. The novel is quite slow paced mainly recalling information and brushes past events fairly quickly with not much information on parts of Pollock's life, again I wish it had a more in-depth look and felt that there needed to be more of this novel. I loved the spreads that included a representation of pollocks artwork, though, from the point of view of a designer, I feel these could have been used more creatively throughout the novel, in the comic panels and the typography. Overall this was intriguing and has made me want to look more into this operation too.

[J Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pollock Confidential: A Graphic Novel by Onofrio Catacchio is an interesting fictionalized account of a real CIA operation centering on Jackson Pollock.

First, I think prospective readers need to know what this short book is not. It is not a biography (though there is a brief overview of his early life) and this is not an assessment of his art. This is a fictionalized account of what amounts to a chapter out of both Pollock's life and CIA history. It is not intended to be a detailed history nor is it used as an opportunity to promote Pollock.

Having said all that, I think the book is really hit or miss. For me, it was more hit than miss, but that is as much because of my interests as it is the book. For some others it will likely be more miss and likely for the reasons I mention above about what the book is not. I knew about Pollock's life and art, so I am okay with having a short chapter that has some fun with a hypothetical agent. If you want more about Pollock or his art, you may find yourself wondering why you're reading this.

I would recommend this mostly to those who already know Pollock's work and life and might enjoy this fictionalized chapter out of it. While I think some other readers might be moved to learn more after reading this book I am afraid that without some background a reader might end up not caring about either the book or Pollock.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Esencia a libro nuevo · Rating 4 out of 5]

En mi primer viaje a Dublín, me compré este cómic en uno de los museos que visité. Coincidencias de la vida, lo leí en el avión de regreso y al día siguiente tenía una actividad con los amigos jóvenes del Thyssen en torno a la figura del artista.

Un cómic tremendamente interesante que relata la vida y obra de Jackson Pollock y cómo la CIA y el Gobierno de Estados Unidos usaba el arte de estos pintores para derrotar el comunismo y el secreto que había detrás de las grandes exposiciones, los coleccionistas y el aumento de valor de las piezas.

Jamás hubiera pensado que el arte abstracto de Pollock fuera una herramienta política usada por los conservadores en un mundo que competía entre el comunismo y el capitalismo y que sus carrerones se vieron lanzados precisamente por eso. Ni que los artistas formaran parte (sin saberlo) de una trama de interés de Estado.

Me ha parecido un relato magistral que nos da a conocer la obra del artista, aquel cowboy de medianoche alcohólico y perdido, que sólo se encontraba a sí mismo a través del arte y que sería el mayor exponente de una técnica innovadora: el dripping o goteo.

Gracias a su lectura he descubierto a un hombre con una vida desdichada y unos demonios mentales; un artista único que convirtió aquel granero en su estudio y que pintaba en el suelo. Y, por supuesto, a una mujer que vio aparcado su propio éxito como pintora para recopilar, organizar y catalogar el legado del artista.

[April Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did really enjoy this graphic bio of Jackson Pollock and his connection to the C.I.A. How did these two entities mesh? Well, the C.I.A. came into being after WWII, and almost immediately began the Long Leash program, instituted as a way to fight the Cold Way using the arts as a weapon. It spent 20 years pitting Abstract Expressionism against Socialist Realism, to show America as the land of freedom to express oneself, to think freely, to create the art one wanted to create rather than the art one was told to create. This program secretly funded artists for years, all to promote American arts around the world, and Pollock, who was becoming a major player in the movement, made a great poster boy- a rebel cowboy, independent and unafraid.
This bio is brief, a bio-lite if you will, but the major details are covered. There is some fiction to this, but most is fact, including the characters- just one character is fictional, but it does make the story flow, and doesn't change the story. The writing is a bit dry, to be honest, but is still interesting. The artwork is the star here- Catacchio's illustrations are striking, with color palettes that echo Pollock's work.

#PollockConfidential #NetGalley

[Randi (Rampant Reading Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of Pollock Confidential from Netgalley so I could share my review with you!

Jackson Pollock was an artist known by many, but few know of the US government’s interest in him during the Cold War. His classification as a great American artist is not a work of accident, and had everything to do with the United States government’s desire to encourage a uniquely American style of art. Though Pollock’s life was short, it was full of color and experience, as shown in the Pollock Confidential. Told through the perspective of the man tasked with following Jackson Pollock, this graphic novel is a delightful glimpse into the past!

You can get your copy of Pollock Confidential on May 5th from Laurence King Publishing!

Onofrio Catacchio is the author of many graphic novels, in both English and Italian. I quite enjoyed reading this book, and was especially fond of his incorporation of Pollock’s actual paintings into the illustrations of the book! Graphic biographies can be extremely fun, especially when written by someone who cares about the story they are telling, which was clearly the case with the Pollock Confidential! The story was engaging and truthful, paired with fantastic artwork!

My Recommendation-
If you want to know more about art history, but would like your information presented in a more artistic medium, Pollock Confidential would be a great place to start! I didn’t know anything about Jackson Pollock before reading this book, and I still really enjoyed it! It has actually inspired me to try my hand at some abstract art myself!

[Leona · Rating 3 out of 5]

This unique graphic novel tells of a bizarre period in history where American modern art was used a tool by the CIA. Focussing on Jackson Pollock, Catachhio sheds light into this once rumoured secret by showing a slice of this big conspiracy while teaching the reader about this creative genius.

Pollock is one of my favourite artists so I was intrigued by this book. The artwork of the graphic novel is appealing and would be a good way to hook someone who wasn’t familiar with Pollock’s style as an introduction to learning more about his talent. By leaning towards the subterfuge of the government instead of a standard bio of an artist, this is an excellent way to generate more interest in the title.

My only criticism is that it felt a bit short, I would’ve liked it to be longer but that might be because of my own interest in the artist and the era of the art movement featured.

I received a copy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

[Chelsey Hostetler · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC for reading and reviews*

I am a huge fan of graphic novel memoirs and biographies; however, I was not expecting this. As an Art Historian I am a bit ashamed I didn't know anything about the CIA tailing Pollock, so that was something fun to discover. I agree with a lot of the reviews I've read here on Goodreads, I was expecting more of an overview of Pollock's work and a deeper dive of his life. It is a well known fact that Pollock was a very private person, so I was looking forward to learning more of the man. The CIA story, while crazy interesting, doesn't mesh well with the rest of the graphic novel. For someone like myself with some knowledge of the artist, this was a great novel. For readers who may not know much about Jackson Pollock, they should get this as a companion novel to a mid-century art book.

[Le P'tit Tannant · Rating 2 out of 5]

J’ai découvert avec surprise que la popularité de Jackson Pollock était en partie liée à des financements secrets de la CIA, un aspect intéressant et méconnu que cette bande dessinée aborde. Cependant, malgré cette révélation intrigante, l’histoire elle-même m’a semblé incomplète. Elle manque de profondeur et s’enferme dans une trame trop générique, à tel point que je me suis demandé à plusieurs reprises si je n’avais pas accidentellement sauté des pages. L’intrigue aurait pu bénéficier de plus de développement pour étoffer certains éléments, et approfondir les personnages ou les enjeux. En l’état, elle ne parvient pas à captiver ou à offrir une vision nuancée de son sujet.

[Travis Duke · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read about the artist Jackson Pollock, featuring his ties to the CIA. The CIA wanted to use his art as a counter attack to the cold war but it didn't really come to action. This is a quick Biography about Pollock and his art, relationships, and addiction. Pollock was an abstract expressionist who got pretty famous for painting on the ground with swirls of paint. What I found most interesting was the very brief mention of his childhood and how his art actually mimics Indian sand art. This book is a really quick primer on Pollock and has some interesting details about his life and art. The art of the book is fine, nothing amazing, it has a very classic illustration feel.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who knew that Jackson Pollock and Abstract Expressionist was financially supported by the CIA to beat Russian Communism. Mind blown! This and more secrets are in the accurately named Pollock Confidential.

The artwork is very golden-age superhero. I expected to see color pixels if I looked really close. It fits the time period of the book—1930s-1950s.

Overall, Pollock Confidential is an unique well-researched look into a troubled man’s life—with some surprises along the way. 4 stars!

Thanks to Laurence King Publishing and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Bandita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the biography of Jackson Pollock, whom I didn't know prior to reading this book, so it was very enlightening and interesting to know about him. This story is told from the POV of a CIA agent, Dan, who is being assigned to this case. He pretends to be an university student and befriends Pollock in order to prepare his report.
This book provides glimpses into Jackson Pollock's life and his paintings. I enjoyed reading this book. Though the story seemed a bit incoherent at times, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The illustrations were great.

[Jenny Houle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I've had the reaction that 99.9% of the people who've written a review to this book had. "How the hell did I not know about 'Long Leash'?!"

This graphic novel is historical fiction based on real life. There's a bit of Pollock's biography, but more his invlolvement with the CIA in regards to codename "Long Leash", and way more about the overall project that the CIA created to promote American art because too many Americans, they felt, were becoming much more interested in Russian art. I liked it.

[Callista Goh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catacchio's Pollock Confidential melds fiction and history, telling the tale of Pollock's run-in with the CIA amidst WWII. Whilst the art was well done, it was quite difficult to differentiate between fact and fiction = this should be clarified within the introduction. This being said, I nevertheless enjoyed the graphic novel and would recommend it to a Young Adult Audience.

I received a complementary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[सौरभ | ਸੌਰਭ | Saurabh · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up to 3.

I am no artist and I don't pretend to know about 'art'. I had heard of Jackson Pollock but was unaware of his connection with CIA's "Long Leash" project.

Abstract 'art' looks like garbage to me but who am I to say. I would have preferred a bit more detailed writeup of Pollock's life other than the fact that he was an artist who was a depressed drunkard (or was it the other way around)?

[J.D. DeHart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had you told me twenty years ago (or more) when I started reading comic books and graphic novels that I would one day be reading a graphic novel about Jackson Pollock, I probably wouldn't have believed you. Onofrio Cattacchio offers the reader beauty in this visual exploration of a unique and groundbreaking artist. This is a book to add to your shelf, for sure.

[Patti Sabik · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found "Pollock Confidential" to be a well-done exploration of the later years of Pollock's life and how he influenced modern American art. The artwork was wonderful and the quotes from Pollock were used well throughout the book. Good source notes at the end.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I liked this look at Jackson Pollock's life and work, I was mixed on the government surveillance/secret manipulation aspect (which really happened) and the created CIA agent character. (e-galley from NetGalley)

[Chris Dailey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick read and informative to a degree, the graphic novel provides some context around the timing of Pollack's work and his life. The narrative structure was bland and the involvement of the CIA, while trivially interesting, was overdone and tried too hard to build emotion.