Untitled 1966

Curator: We're now looking at an Untitled work by Sam Francis, created in 1966 using acrylic paint, that sits comfortably within abstract expressionism. Editor: The initial impression is almost playful, isn’t it? Like a colourfully iced cake someone forgot to finish decorating. A deconstructed frame almost… beckoning us into its void. Curator: Deconstructed is key. Francis’s process involved staining and layering acrylic paint, letting gravity and chance play a significant role. It breaks down traditional notions of artistic control. What’s fascinating is how the white space becomes as important as the color, questioning what actually constitutes the “subject” of the work. Editor: That white feels... deliberate. It’s like the negative space is buzzing with possibility. The drips, splatters and the raw canvas almost speak to the performative aspect of its making. Can almost picture Francis whirling around, paint flying in every direction. Curator: Precisely. There’s also the relationship to the post-war context. With mass production booming and new synthetic materials flooding the market, Francis actively engaged with acrylic paint not as just medium, but as a signifier of these cultural shifts, democratizing artistic production and consumption. Editor: True, acrylic brought about a vibrancy that was hard to get with oils, opening a Pandora's Box of creative colour freedom. Plus, those candy colours are strangely alluring! Curator: It also plays with ideas of finish and craft; challenging what constituted fine art versus other forms of making in the late 20th century. Acrylic paint becomes a powerful marker of change, echoing wider cultural shifts toward new forms of expression and industry. Editor: I agree, that it opens up an idea of limitlessness that’s hard to resist. Thanks for shining light into those dark corners, there. Curator: And thank you for bringing it to life with your interpretations! It has been a lovely experience.