OFFICIAL44 Why does the student mention Jackson Pollock?

[00:00.00]NARRATOR: Listen to a conversation between a student and an art professor.
[00:04.86]FEMALE STUDENT: Hi, Dr. Morton?[00:07.00] I'm Karen Stern. [00:08.44]I met you briefly about a year ago when I was applying to the university. [00:11.83]You were on a panel of professors, and you were talking about the art department.
[00:15.96]MALE PROFESSOR: Ahh … and you're now a student here. [00:19.38]I guess I said the right thing.
[00:20.92]FEMALE STUDENT: Yeah. Right now I'm doing the intro courses in the art department, but I'm really interested in painting.
[00:27.19]MALE PROFESSOR: Well, I teach several of the painting courses … so I hope to see you in the future.
[00:31.69]FEMALE STUDENT: Actually I was wondering … you're in charge of student art exhibitions at the university gallery, right?
[00:38.00]MALE PROFESSOR: Right.
[00:38.53]FEMALE STUDENT: So, I know all the exhibitors are students, but I was wondering how you choose the works you exhibit every month. [00:44.20]Is there, like, a submission process or something?
[00:47.02]MALE PROFESSOR: Well, there is a submission process—yes. [00:49.58]We have a gallery review committee. But we already have our exhibitions planned for the rest of this school year. [00:55.67]Generally our exhibitors are third- and fourth-year students … well into their course work.
[01:00.68]FEMALE STUDENT: Oh … well … I guess that'll be something to look forward to then. [01:04.93]Tell me, do you show all kinds of paintings?
[01:08.30]MALE PROFESSOR: Well, actually, we started doing something different with the gallery this year. [01:11.90]We're featuring a specific technique each month. [01:14.54]Next month's exhibition, for instance, will feature drip paintings.
[01:18.20]FEMALE STUDENT: Really? Like Jackson Pollock?
[01:20.04]MALE PROFESSOR: Ah, so you’re familiar with Pollock’s work?
[01:22.10]FEMALE STUDENT: Well, sort of, though I’ve only seen photographs of it. [01:25.20]I know he dripped paint onto the canvas instead of using a brush. [01:29.08]I read he stretched out his canvases on the floor of his studio, and then he climbed up on a ladder to pour paint … ordinary house paint … from a can onto the canvas.
[01:38.08]MALE PROFESSOR: That’s right. [01:39.03]That was characteristic of Pollock in the late forties, in what we call his drip period. [01:43.94]And the object was to produce a constant stream of paint to create continuous lines. Because, as you know, when you use a brush directly on a canvas, you get broken lines. [01:53.74]So, you like Pollock?
[01:55.83]FEMALE STUDENT: Yeah, I do. [01:57.05]I like abstract works in general. [01:59.42]There's a class on abstract art, right?
[02:01.63]MALE PROFESSOR: Actually, I teach that class. And drip painting was one of our themes last year. [02:06.90]Some students from last year's class have continued experimenting with it. They've created some incredible pieces … using everything from squeeze bottles to computer-controlled sprayers.
[02:16.76]FEMALE STUDENT: Do they look a lot like Pollock's work?
[02:19.44]MALE PROFESSOR: Well, our goal wasn’t to imitate Jackson Pollock. [02:22.38]The object was to get students to look at different ways of applying paint to a canvas. [02:26.83]But you don't have to enroll in a specific course to be invited to exhibit your work.… [02:31.12]It just has to fit the theme for one of our exhibitions.