Untitled (Lembark I92) 1988

Curator: Well, the effect of these vertical panels of dripped, splashed, and poured colour, feels surprisingly joyful and energetic, no? Editor: Energetic for sure! Let's orient our listeners: we're looking at Sam Francis' "Untitled (Lembark I92)" from 1988. Three separate canvases alive with vibrant paint, an explosion of chromatic events bound within strict vertical parameters. How do you see the materiality at play here? Curator: I find the layering fascinating. The interplay between thin washes and denser pools reveals so much about the physical properties of the paint itself and the way Francis manipulated gravity. The absence of defined forms forces us to consider the process of the gesture—the viscosity, flow, and drying patterns as intentional components, as an emphasis on pure sensory qualities that challenge the typical hierarchies of representation. It shows us his interest in non-objective expression as he uses materials at hand and the labour needed to handle large canvases. Editor: Absolutely. And viewing this now, over thirty years later, one can't help but place it within the context of Abstract Expressionism's reception. Postwar America, eager to embrace individual freedom of expression, certainly fueled Francis' market and career. How interesting to think about collectors engaging with, say, paint splatters as symbols of liberty or as investments tied to American ideals! Curator: So, the art market becomes the stage for defining cultural values? Does this risk obscuring the more human dimension? The emotional impact of these color fields surely is as relevant to interpretation, because they speak of feelings that any social class can understand, even if the prices are crazy. Editor: It is indeed a difficult balance. How do we reconcile an aesthetic experience accessible to anyone with art historical discourses driven by market forces? However, looking at the artwork displayed as a collection pushes for conversations and reflections, where the material making speaks beyond value and trends. Curator: Right. It is how we bring that balance forward as viewers, or the insights that we can gain from all these different layers to build bridges to understanding. Editor: Precisely. We begin to appreciate how context can add even more layers to the already complex and intriguing abstract world.