Untitled (SFP94-53, SFF.1727) 1994

Sam Francis made this Untitled painting with ink and acrylic in 1994, near the end of his life, and you can really sense the freedom and energy in it. I love how the bright yellow pops against the black. The painting is all about the physicality of the medium, the way the paint drips and splatters. You can almost feel him flicking the brush, letting the paint fly. There’s a real sense of movement and chance, but also control. Look at that big, blotchy form at the top. It feels almost like a Rorschach test, or a strange creature. The painting’s surface is alive! Francis reminds me a bit of Joan Mitchell, another painter who knew how to make paint sing. Both artists show us that painting isn’t just about representation, it’s about the joy of making marks, exploring colour, and embracing the unexpected. The real beauty is in the not knowing, and the constant conversation that paintings have with one another.