I’ve always admired Eddie Van Halen’s paint job on his signature guitar. It seemed so original. Well today I was pursuing an art site reading about Jackson Pollock’s very first drip painting, Free Form 1946. MOMA describes it thusly:
“Free Form is very likely Pollock’s first “drip” painting. He began by painting the entire canvas red and then added the black and white tangles and pools of paint by flinging and dripping diluted oil paint from a brush or stick.”
Not saying that it is his inspiration but sure sounds like it might be.
It was black and white at first, then he switched to the black and yellow VH2 one which is now buried with Dimebag Darrell from Pantera. He preferred the first guitar but wanted it to look different than tha black and white guitars that makers were coming out with when he got popular, so he repainted it red.
I don’t recall him ever mentioning Pollack, but clearly Eddie was into masking tape and stripes. Some ersatz combo of painting cars and random Pollack-type design.
Whatever inspired him, it sure as hell worked.
As I have said before, there’s nothing more ironic than Eddie’s $350 parts guitar using cast-off bits is replicated by Fender in limited edition runs that sell for $25,000. Complete with the same authentic 1971 quarter Eddie jammed into place to get his Floyd Rose whammy bar prototype to be level!!!
