Untitled 1993

Sam Francis made this “Untitled” painting with splatters, drips, and floating shapes of blue, red, yellow, and green. I like to think of Francis in his studio, maybe in California or Paris, where he spent a lot of time. I imagine he was trying to get the feeling of light and air onto the canvas, kind of like capturing a fleeting moment. Look how the colors are both intense and soft, like the memory of a sunset. The way the paint is applied, so freely, suggests a real sense of spontaneity. It's like he's not trying to control everything, but letting the paint do its own thing, dripping and pooling where it wants to. When I look at those splashes, I think about the freedom of expression, but also about how each gesture is part of a conversation with other artists, like Joan Mitchell, or Helen Frankenthaler. There's a real sense of play and experimentation. I think that's what makes his work so enduring. It's like he’s still in the studio, and we get to watch him work.