Detail of Number 3, 1949: Tiger by Jackson Pollock. Many 20th-century artists have utilized modern synthetic paints, exploring and exploiting their distinct handling and optical properties. As part of a collaborative project to answer questions about the character of modern paint materials, the GCI analyzed samples from paintings by Pollock to identify binding media. Collection of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1972. © 2005 The Pollock-Krasner Foundation/ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.