Jackson Pollock was a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. Pollock was an American painter who is best known for his unique style of drip painting, in which he would drip and splash paint onto a canvas laid on the floor. This technique allowed him to create large, complex compositions that were full of energy and movement. Pollock's work was an important influence on the development of the abstract expressionist movement, which emerged in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s. The movement was characterized by a focus on the spontaneous, intuitive creation of art, and by a rejection of traditional forms and techniques. Other notable artists associated with the abstract expressionist movement include Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, and Franz Kline.