Untitled (SFP94-57, SFF.1731) 1994

This untitled painting was made by Sam Francis, who died in '94, using colors that just vibrate on the canvas. It's like he let the paint decide what to do, a total process move. Look at how the colors swirl and drip. See the blues, reds, and greens mixing, like an explosion of emotion? The paint is thin, so it runs and bleeds. It’s not about hiding the process, but letting it all hang out, for you to see. You can almost see him tilting the canvas, guiding the flow, making decisions on the fly. Check out those trails of red snaking through the blues. How that gesture changes the whole energy of the piece. Francis reminds me a little of Joan Mitchell, another painter who wasn't afraid to get messy and let the paint do its thing. These paintings aren't trying to tell you one thing. They're more like an invitation to feel something.