Self-Portrait 1974

This red on white self-portrait by Sam Francis has a kind of raw energy, doesn’t it? It reminds me that artmaking can be like emotional archaeology. The scribbled marks, that intense red, it’s all immediacy, like a thought captured mid-flight. Notice how the marks are layered, chaotic, but somehow resolve into a face. It’s like Francis is wrestling with his own image, not trying to pretty it up. There’s a vulnerability in that rawness, a willingness to show the messy process of self-discovery. The box around the face feels like both a frame and a cage. That kind of no-holds-barred approach reminds me a bit of Cy Twombly, who also wasn’t afraid to let the process show. It's a reminder that art isn’t always about answers; sometimes, it’s about embracing the questions.