Untitled (SFP94-143, SFF.1813) 1994

Sam Francis made this untitled work, one of many, late in his career, using acrylic and watercolor, I think, to create an image that feels both totally spontaneous and strangely composed. The color palette here is classic Sam Francis: vibrant reds, blues and yellows against a stark white background, with small touches of black that really make the other colors pop! Looking closely, you see the paper isn't just a passive backdrop; it's actually part of the action. Francis leaves plenty of the white showing, making the negative space just as important as the colorful splashes. In the lower right corner, there's a juicy yellow blotch that seems to defy gravity, with rivulets extending into the indigo field that dominates the centre of the piece. That blotch feels crucial, like a key to unlocking the whole painting. It's like, everything else is swirling around it, finding its place in relation to that one assertive burst of color. This approach of working with accidents and letting the paint do its thing feels connected to artists like Joan Mitchell, who were also exploring abstraction with a kind of joyful abandon. Ultimately, Francis leaves us with a work that is less about what it depicts and more about the sheer pleasure of seeing color and form collide.