Self-Portrait 1974

Sam Francis made this self-portrait drawing sometime in the twentieth century, using graphite on paper. The lines, like thoughts, are all over the place, aren't they? Scratchy and searching, the face almost emerges from a haze of marks. Look at how the artist renders the eyes. They're not just looking out; they’re swirling inward, like a vortex, drawing the whole face into the orbit of his gaze. You get the sense he’s not just seeing himself, but thinking himself into being. The texture of the graphite is soft and smudgy, creating a sense of depth, as if the face is emerging from the paper. It reminds me of de Kooning's search for form, that nervous energy, the feeling that the image is never quite resolved. Both were interested in process, making visible the act of seeing and thinking. It’s this ambiguity that I find so compelling; the way it invites us to bring our own interpretations.