Untitled 1964

Sam Francis made this untitled painting with acrylic on paper. It’s so playful. The dominant gesture is a drip – little splatters and spots, pops of yellow, red and blue. I can imagine him loading his brush, flicking his wrist, and watching how the paint landed. There's something immediate about it – the kind of freedom you get when you're not trying too hard. You can imagine him experimenting, letting the paint do its thing, working fast and intuitively. The bold color palette, dominated by primary colors, reminds me of Miró, who also had such a joyful approach to art-making. But the real magic comes in how Francis lets the negative space breathe, giving the eye a place to rest amid the chaos. Painters are constantly talking to each other across time. We build on the ideas of artists who came before us, adding our own spin. With paintings like this one, Francis reminds us of the endless possibilities of art.