Untitled (SFP89-105) 1989

Sam Francis made this untitled painting with vibrant colours, probably sometime in the eighties. I can imagine him in the studio, paint flying everywhere. This painting feels like controlled chaos, a real balancing act. You've got this sunny yellow, clashing with splatters of blue and black, but then there's also this earthy green and orange grounding it all. It's like Francis was trying to capture the whole world in one go! The paint itself looks thick, almost like it’s melting off the canvas, so juicy and wet that I can practically feel the drips and textures. I am particularly drawn to that bold streak of blue, it slices right through everything else, giving the painting its energy. Francis was definitely part of a bigger conversation, echoing Pollock's drips, but pushing it further. And, like, what if we just let go of trying to make sense of it all? Maybe that's the point.