On a tucked-away parcel of land overlooking Accabonac Creek in East Hampton, New York, Wildsam gathered with a small group for a morning dedicated to exploring the studio and working practices of painters Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner. We visited the studio and home of the seminal painters and then settled into a conversation between Helen A. Harrison, director of the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, and East End-based artist April Gornik. Everyone present came away with a deepened relationship with-and connection to-the place that Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner called home. 

Located in Springs, a hamlet in the Town of East Hampton, the home of Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner was built in 1879. The artists purchased the homestead, thanks to a loan from art dealer Peggy Guggenheim, in 1945. 

Exploring the home, which contains all the furnishings that were present at the time of Krasner's 1984 death, is to feel intimately connected to the artists. Scanning through Pollock's personal library was a highlight.

Once in the studio we spotted Pollock's famous house paint, which he poured on canvases laid directly on the floor.

Upon entry into the studio, originally a barn that held fishing equipment, visitor's are asked to remove their shoes and put on hospital grade slippers. These slippers protect the iconic floors covered with the remains of Autumn Rhythm, Convergence, Blue Poles and many of Pollock's other seminal works painted between 1946 and 1952.

After Pollock’s 1956 death in 1956, Krasner began to use the studio. Lining the walls is a display of photographs that outline both artists’ lives and careers, alongside their materials and work tools.

Wildsam Field Trippers Joe, Judson and Tuz entering the studio. They woke up at 5 am and drove in from New York City. Gold star.

Time to pause for coffee from Sailaway and breakfast from Springs General Store. The general store, which is just a short drive from the Pollock-Krasner House, is a local institution.

Pollock-Krasner House director and artist April Gornik went back and forth on the history of the region and why the East End is still a beacon for artists thanks to residency programs and cultural institutions like The Church, which April runs with her husband, artist Eric Fischl. 

Thanks to the Pollock-Krasner House and everyone who came excited to dive into the story of this special place. 

 
All photography by September Broadhead