Sail I 1968

"Sail I" by Sam Francis is a dance of color around a vast white space. Imagine Francis, brush loaded, letting the paint slide and pool, edging the canvas with blues, reds, and greens. It's like he's mapping a territory, not with lines, but with feeling. I wonder what Francis was thinking, leaving so much untouched? Did he want us to breathe in the emptiness, to feel the potential humming beneath the surface? That drip of blue there, it’s like a little thought escaping, a moment of doubt or maybe, pure joy. You know, painting is such a conversation. Francis nods to Matisse's bold colors, but then veers off, making it his own. Each gesture, a little story, a little secret. And like any good story, it’s not about having all the answers, but about the questions it stirs up. It’s about the endless possibilities, the what-ifs, and the maybes, all swirling around in that white space, waiting to be discovered.