Untitled (from Pasadena Box) 1963

Curator: Here we have Sam Francis’s "Untitled (from Pasadena Box)," an acrylic work completed in 1963. Editor: Immediately, it evokes a sense of spontaneous joy. The energetic splatters and circular forms jump off the canvas; the dynamic composition nearly overwhelms the pristine white backdrop. Curator: Indeed. The color palette--primary shades of red, blue and yellow--tap into a kind of visual vocabulary recognized universally from childhood. Note, too, the artist's employment of impasto to create textures. Those built-up surfaces imbue the artwork with dimension and a tactile sense that transcends the flat picture plane. This adds to the piece's overall lively and energetic character. Editor: Looking closer at these concentric circles and free-flowing lines, the composition strikes me as organized chaos. Even without a distinct subject, there's an implied order, wouldn't you agree? The large circles give structure to the paint spatter. It feels so raw. Is this controlled spontaneity or accidental aesthetic expression? Curator: Abstract Expressionism, the very category of the artwork on display here, encourages artists to embrace an open and direct mode of conveying themes around the subconscious and pure sentiment, and I am tempted to propose that, more than an intentional act, it reflects what one may refer to as a form of collective memory, an imprint we may trace in other eras and cultures. Think of the color theories advanced in the Bauhaus, which linked each primary color to a range of innate sentiments and, in turn, impacted 20th-century visual imagery. The simple aesthetic choice brings back something primal and emotional in viewers. Editor: Very interesting. It suggests Francis sought to tap into some universal aesthetic language. The execution is so unbound that it allows for varied, even intensely personal, reactions to the artwork. Curator: It does. As a potent illustration of form, line, and unmediated self-expression, it opens doors to a world beyond words. Editor: The image invites us to simply feel something and consider our relationship to this abstract notion we have identified as the source of emotional memories. Thank you for drawing out these deeper implications!