Untitled (from Pasadena Box) (Lembark L60) 1963

Sam Francis made this untitled print, part of the Pasadena Box series, using lithography. Look at how he lets the paint drip and spatter, as if he's giving the medium permission to express itself freely, like letting a jazz musician improvise. There's a real physicality to the surface, it almost feels like a performance frozen in time. The blobs of red, green, and blue aren't just sitting there; they're exploding, reaching out, and creating little universes of color. Notice that spot of crimson over there with a black circle inside, how does it relate to the others? Francis has this knack for making the accidental feel intentional, which reminds me of Joan Mitchell. Both of them knew how to let go and let the painting do its thing, which is the beautiful contradiction at the heart of artmaking.