Self-Portrait 1973

Sam Francis made this Self-Portrait sometime in his life, using ink on paper. The dark, almost bruised, monochrome is such a contrast to his often vibrant color, it makes me wonder what he was thinking about at the time. I love how direct the mark making is. The texture is rough and immediate, like he's trying to grab hold of something fleeting, a sense of self perhaps. Look at the mouth, a series of quick strokes that somehow convey both vulnerability and strength. There's something so exposed about it, like a raw nerve. For me, this portrait has affinities with Picasso’s portraits of Dora Maar, they both seem to capture a fractured sense of identity, using the language of form and gesture to convey something beyond the surface. It's a reminder that art doesn't always offer easy answers, but can be a way of grappling with the complexities of what it means to be human.