Abstract Composition (SF 61) 1967

Editor: So here we have Sam Francis’s "Abstract Composition (SF 61)," created in 1967 using acrylic paint. I’m immediately struck by the tension between the vibrant colors around the edges and that almost empty-looking center. What's your take on how this piece works? Curator: For me, it’s all about the breath—that expansive white space. It's like a held note in music, vibrating with potential. Francis understood how negative space could be as active and vital as the painted forms themselves. Notice how the colors aren't contained. They splatter and bleed, giving the impression of constant movement, as if the painting is perpetually being born. What do you make of that open center? Does it feel empty to you? Editor: Well, "empty" was maybe too strong a word. Now that you mention it, those scattered dots of color do give it a sense of depth, almost like looking up at the night sky through gaps in a vibrant canopy. Curator: Exactly! Francis was deeply interested in Eastern philosophies and believed in the interconnectedness of all things. This "emptiness" could be seen as a gateway, a meditative space that invites us to contemplate the universe within. And those bold, dripping colours…they are like raw emotions made visible, a dance of joy and sorrow. They’re grounded, literally weighted at the frame but also trying to get out of the composition, towards freedom, like fireworks Editor: That's a lovely interpretation! I definitely see the fireworks now. I went in thinking the blank space was a void, but you've completely reframed it as a space of possibility and introspection. I really learned a lot from this new angle, and it helps see it as something very vivid rather than empty. Curator: And perhaps I am learning more from you, seeing a more critical eye in the context, with its strengths and tensions. Beautiful. Thank you for your contribution.