It has been suggested that there are two primary approaches to thinking that lead to innovation – conceptual and experimental.
A celebrated conceptual innovator was Albert Einstein who, at 26 years of age, developed the theory of relativity by imagining himself chasing a light beam. He did not conduct his own research but rather relied on the results of other scientific experiments. Conceptual innovators are compared to sprinters and produce most of their important work early in their career. However, as they get more rooted in the discipline their originality diminishes. Experimental innovators, on the other hand, employ trial and error learning as they go. They often will not have a predetermined plan or solution at the outset of their exploration. It is interesting to note that on average the experimental thinkers do their most influential work at age 61 compared to the conceptual thinkers at 43.
Jackson Pollock was a conceptual innovator (not to be confused with conceptual art). His impact on painting and the art world is indisputable. The height of his innovation was when he chose to abandon the easel and brush with his famous drip paintings. He placed the canvas on the floor and dripped paint on to the surface using sticks and other tools. Another aspect of his innovation was the rejection of a single point of emphasis in his paintings, opting rather to develop an abstract field – once described as pictures “with no beginning or end.” When asked if he “worked from nature,” his reverberating response was, “I am nature.” His inquisitor’s retort was “Ah, but if you work by heart, you will repeat yourself.” Jackson did not respond. The piece shown above is entitled Number 1, created in 1949 when Pollock was 37 years old. He continued producing drip paintings for another seven years. Pollock struggled with alcoholism through out his life and died at the early age of 44.