Round the World 1959

Sam Francis made "Round the World," an abstract painting, probably in his studio, and with brushes and paint. The blues, reds, and yellows form a kind of joyful chaos, don't they? It's like he's wrestling with the canvas, letting the paint drip and splatter. I wonder if he felt like he was traveling the world when he made it? Look at the way the white space peeks through. It's not just a background, but an active part of the composition. It’s as if the colors are islands floating in a sea of possibility. It reminds me of Joan Mitchell's lyrical abstraction, a dance between control and letting go, where each gesture is a record of the artist's process. There’s this one big, splattery blue mark at the bottom. To me, it anchors the whole piece, while the drips make it feel light and airy. For Francis, I guess painting was a journey without a map, a constant exploration of what color and form can do.