The Evolution of Sam Francis’s Painting Through Five Works

Looking at Francis’s works from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, one can see its development over time. In Untitled (SF63-006) (1963), for example, Francis uses an unconventional compositional method, employing large swathes of color at the edges, balanced by energetic drips and splashes that cover the entire picture plane. Similar to Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning, Francis uses color, brush marks, and splatter to convey emotion. Later, his images became more tight and uniform, as in the monotype Untitled (SFM78-171; SFM78-050) (EXP-SF-11-#4-78) (1978). Here, Francis has incorporated a grid pattern into his work, in this case created with a brush, though he often applied pigment with a roller.

This square format continues in Generated (SF-275) (L-246) (1981), a lithograph diptych of two nearly-square forms made of quick and loose marks and drips, all in a monochromatic yellow ink. In these pieces, Francis used geometric forms and patterns, but broke free of them through his liberal use of color. In Untitled (SFM81-144) (EXP-SF-44-#4) (1981), from that same year, the rectangular elements become sublimated into background forms, covered over by bright splashes, using a combination of woodblock printing, oil paint, dry pigments, and ink. By later on in the ’80s, the form is almost completely diffused into overlapping daubs of acrylic paint, as is the case in Star (SFP87-74) (SFF.1396) (1987).