Untitled 1969

This untitled work was made by Sam Francis using paint, though what kind exactly is a mystery. It's like looking into a frame, or maybe *through* one. The way he’s treated the edges is interesting; they’re not so much boundaries as zones of color. There’s a sense of movement, like the colors are still settling, still finding their place. See that drip of red on the left? It’s so casual, so offhand, but it brings the whole composition to life. And the white space in the middle isn’t empty at all; it’s charged, like a held breath. Francis lets the paint do its thing, with all its messy, unpredictable glory. It reminds me a little of Helen Frankenthaler’s soak-stain paintings, but with a bit more… attitude. It’s a reminder that art is less about answers and more about the questions we ask along the way.