Untitled (SFP94-57, SFF.1731) 1994

Sam Francis made this untitled painting with splatters, drips, and juicy puddles of paint. It's got this lively mix of blues, greens, reds, and yellows – like an explosion in a paint factory! I can just imagine Francis in his studio, totally immersed in the act of painting. Maybe he was feeling a bit wild that day, letting the colors collide and dance across the canvas. He’s one of those painters who let the subconscious lead; you can see the hand move around, kind of shaky but so determined. The red streaks, like electric currents, cutting through the blues, greens, and yellows. Each color seems to have a voice, shouting and whispering at the same time. Francis, like so many painters, was in conversation with the Abstract Expressionists that came before him. He was asking what the body could do, what colors could do, what a painting can do. Like them, this piece embodies the spirit of experimentation and the joy of discovery. It reminds me to embrace the unexpected and find beauty in the mess.