The 'Pop' of Sam Francis

Of all the artists in the Pop era, Sam Francis’ works are the pieces that ‘pop’ for me. Francis was (1923-1994) a European artist who studied in Paris where he learned the l’art informal technique after the war. Despite his formal training, he used a different technique to create his art in which he poured the paint directly onto the raw canvas, effectively adopting the technique originated by the innovative Jackson Pollock. (King 317-318).           

                                                                                         Shining  Black

The piece that caught my attention in our textbook is this brilliant painting to the right entitled “Shining Black.” This painting is anything but ‘black'. Filled with warm colors of multiple hues, it appears as though they will converge in the middle, but there is a white unpainted center that gets wider as you go to the bottom of the piece. The white contrasts against the vivid colors making the painting ‘pop’ for the eyes.

After viewing many of his other beautiful works, my favorite is “Je Ne Sais Quai” (not an easy decision). The main reason that I favor this piece is not only because I love the color blue, but I am amazed by how Francis was able to drip the paint in such ‘clean’ groupings. His technique allows all of the colors to show through with none of them being hidden. The brilliant colors used in these paintings light up the canvas as well as any space that they inhabit.

 Je Ne Sais Quai

Appreciation for Francis’ works in the art world  has remained consistent. The 19 foot tall by 38 foot long painting entitled “Untitled” done in 1979 was recently installed in the Robert Haywood Morrison Atrium at Mint Museum Uptown in Charlotte, NC. View the fascinating YouTube video here:

Francis’ paintings are also currently being featured in “Sam Francis: Five Decades of Abstract Expressionism from California Collections”, an exhibit at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. The exhibit began August 11, 2013 and lasts until January 5, 2014.The PDF detailing the exhibit is attached here: http://pmcaonline.org/press/SamFrancis_PMCA.pdf. And a film about Sam Francis’ life and work was produced in 2008 by his fellow artist and friend Jeffrey Perkins. A wealth of details about the making of the film “The Painter Sam Francis” can be found at the website http://www.thepaintersamfrancis.com/Site/Home.html. Here is the movie poster here:

Just as I have discovered and enjoyed the incredible artistry of Sam Francis, it is apparent that his appeal continues for art lovers of all kind and will for years to come...

 Revised Anybody but Andy EPortfolio 11-24-13.docx

 _______________________________________________________________

Works Cited:

Image #1 Shining Black. Retrieved on October 30, 2013 from

<http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/collections/collection-online/artwork/1344>

Image #2  Je Ne Sais Quai. Retrieved on October 30, 2013 from

            < http://static.tumblr.com/u0nmozq/2BDm8bezz/francis__sam1.jpg>

Image # 3 The Painter Sam Francis Movie Poster. http://www.thepaintersamfrancis.com. Retrieved on November 24, 2013 from < http://www.thepaintersamfrancis.com/Site/Home.html >

King, J. (Ed.). (2004). The Cambridge Companion to Modern Latin American Culture.      Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.  

“Sam Francis: Five Decades of Abstract Expressionism from California Collections.” Retrieved  on November 24, 2013 from < http://pmcaonline.org/press/SamFrancis_PMCA.pdf>

Sam Francis "Untitled" Installation at Mint Museum Uptown, Published on Oct 30, 2013,retrieved on November 24, 2013 from <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGzBZbdBzaM>

The Painter Sam Francis. http://www.thepaintersamfrancis.com. Retrieved on November 24, 2013 from < http://www.thepaintersamfrancis.com/Site/Home.html >