Famed artist Jackson Pollock hides name in 'Mural'

Different people have seen many different things in Jackson Pollock's “Mural,” considered by some to be the most important work by one of America's most important artists.

“It's kind of reflective, I think, of what people think about what they look at that painting. Maybe some people think it's there for some reason and they are driven to find something that's literal to them, to make sense of it,” University of Iowa Museum of Art Curator Kathy Edwards said of “Mural,” owned by the UI since 1951. “It's kind of like where's Waldo.”

Art historian Henry Adams theorizes Pollock hid his name among the painted swirls. That theory made the rounds in the past few days on media sites and online art blogs, after Adams penned a column for the October issue of Smithsonian magazine.

“I'm not gonna say that it's completely out of the question,” Edwards said with a chuckle, noting UI museum staff read the theory with interest.

All the discussion is good publicity for the painting and the UI art collection, Edwards said. The museum has been without a permanent home on campus since the June 2008 flood, when the Pollock and the rest of the 12,000-piece collection was evacuated from the former museum. “Mural,” painted in 1943, is valued at $140 million.

“It's pretty interesting that people are still looking at the painting and still seeing things,” Edwards said.

People can view “Mural” at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport to decide for themselves.