Composition (Blue Balls) 1990

Sam Francis created this unnamed composition using paint on paper. Immediately, the vibrant blues pull us into a dance between form and formlessness. The artist presents us with two dominant shapes, each a variation on the circle, yet distinct in their presence. The left form, dense and swirling, seems to pull inward toward its own vortex, while the right, lighter in hue, appears more open, almost ethereal. Around them, splatters and drips of blue paint create a sense of boundless energy. Francis’s work destabilizes the traditional figure-ground relationship, inviting us to consider the space around and within the forms as equally important. The blue paint functions not merely as a color but as a signifier of depth, emotion and unboundaried form. Consider how Francis challenges our expectations of composition. The apparent simplicity of these shapes belies a complex interplay of colour, texture, and space, pushing us to reconsider the boundaries between control and chance, order and chaos.