Why did Jackson Pollock place his canvases on the floor?

Jackson Pollock abandoned the traditional easel and paintbrush to work on canvases laid directly on the floor as part of his signature "drip and splash" method.1

By placing the canvas on the floor, Pollock was able to approach the work from every side, allowing him to fling, dribble, and manipulate paint across the entire surface. This technique enabled him to build up complex, layer-upon-layer compositions of color and texture using various implements, such as sticks and knives. This approach was central to Action painting, a style where the physical act of creating the work—the artist's spontaneous, gestural interaction with the materials—was considered as significant as the finished painting itself.12