Untitled 1990

Editor: This is an untitled work by Sam Francis from 1990, created using acrylic paint. It’s a blast of colors, mainly yellows and oranges. It gives me a really energetic feeling. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: Well, when I look at a piece like this, I immediately think about the artist's process. Francis embraced the physical act of painting, the sheer materiality of acrylics on canvas. Consider the production of these vibrant pigments, their distribution channels, and their availability in 1990. Did those material conditions affect how, and what, Francis created? Editor: That's an interesting perspective. I was focused on the visual impact of the color. Did the availability of certain materials allow him more expressive possibilities? Curator: Precisely. Abstract Expressionism often gets bogged down in the personal expression of the artist, but what about the labor involved in making the paint itself? How does the industrial production of acrylics alter our understanding of “artistic genius”? It compels us to examine who makes art and the economic systems behind it. Editor: I never thought of it that way before! I usually think of the artist, their emotions, the ideas… but thinking about where the paint *came* from is a whole new angle. Curator: The "dripping" and "splattering," often viewed as spontaneous gestures, are, in a materialist lens, actions made possible and even encouraged by the unique properties of acrylics. The consumption of these materials creates the art piece. Editor: So, by understanding the material origins, can we break down the myth of the artist as this solitary genius, touched by inspiration? Curator: Exactly. We reveal a web of economic and social relations that are equally responsible for this artwork’s existence. Editor: I see it completely differently now. Thanks for making me consider how art and capitalism coexist. Curator: It changes how we interpret the whole art world, right? Focusing on the object's materiality encourages critical thinking.