Lot 17○
Sam Francis(American, 1923-1994)Of the Rope Star (SFF:636), 1973-1974
Amended
13 November 2019, 17:00 EST
New YorkSold for US$237,575 inc. premium
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Sam Francis (American, 1923-1994)
Of the Rope Star (SFF:636), 1973-1974
signed and dated 'Sam Francis 1973' (on the reverse)
acrylic on canvas
38 1/4 x 51 1/4 in.
97.2 x 130.2 cm.
This work was executed 1973-1974.
signed and dated 'Sam Francis 1973' (on the reverse)
acrylic on canvas
38 1/4 x 51 1/4 in.
97.2 x 130.2 cm.
This work was executed 1973-1974.
Footnotes
This work is identified with the identification number of SFF.636 in consideration for the forthcoming addendum to the Sam Francis: Catalogue Raisonné of Canvas and Panel Paintings. This information is subject to change as scholarship continues by the Sam Francis Foundation.
Provenance
Minami Gallery, Tokyo
Private Collection, United States
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner circa 1977
Exhibited
Birmingham, Cantor/Lemberg Gallery, Sam Francis: Recent Gouaches and Prints, 8 December 1979-1 January 1980
Literature
Debra Burchett-Lere, Ed., Sam Francis: Catalogue Raisonné of Canvas and Panel Paintings, 1946-1994, Berkeley 2011, no. 636, illustrated in color on DVD I
Stemming from Sam Francis' most evolutionary period and combining a career-long fascination and connection with Japan, the two present works are quintessential examples of the artist's practice.
Coming to market for the first time, Of the Rope Star (1973-1974) and Untitled (1979) see the artist synthesizing his long-held interest with the idea of negative space, or 'ma', as described in Japanese. Francis first visited Japan in 1957, and his work immediately drew parallels to Japanese landscape paintings from as early as the fourteenth century, where artists demonstrated a deft handling of the balance between negative and positive space. By 1973, when the artist returned to Japan, he began exploring a new aesthetic, as evidenced in Of the Rope Star (1973-1974) in which he would establish a loosely geometric base grid using roller brushes. From there, he would apply additional colors into the already wet areas which serve to elegantly juxtapose against the negative space demarcated by the roller. Here vibrant yellows, reds and greens pop against the canvas, leaving lively splashes of color dancing across the surface.
This mature realization of this concept can be linked to Francis' exportation of Jungian analysis, which began in 1971. This approach, which aimed for the participant to achieve 'wholeness,' parallels Francis' ongoing exploration of 'ma' through his practice during this period. It was an idea that had interested the artist for much of his life, perhaps beginning with the death of his mother at only age twelve. It was an event that would haunt him for much of his life and cause him to describe holes and voids within himself.
As the 1970s progressed, Francis' works became more overtly grid-like, as is demonstrated in Untitled (1979). His works on paper have always been a complete part of the artist's practice, not mere studies or drawings, and the fullness of the composition and undulating use of color in the present work underscores this. Dedicated exhibitions to the artist's works on paper, including a diplomatic exhibition organized by the US International Communication Agency (now the US State Department) in 1979 further emphasize this.
Francis was born in San Mateo in 1923 and would go on to serve in the US Air Force during World War II. An injury left him hospitalized, during which point he began to paint. He would go on to pursue degrees from University of California, Berkeley upon his release. After graduation, he went to Europe, where he attended the Atelier Fernand Léger and saw the works of Pierre Bonnard and Henri Matisse. This would spur a career-long fascination with color, which is exemplified in the present works. Associated with both Art Informel and Abstract Expressionism, Francis works offer a singular perspective combining the deeply influential movements taking place in America, Europe and Japan during this defining period in art history. His first solo exhibition took place in Paris in 1952 and was the subject of a major travelling retrospective in 1972, the year before his return to Japan and execution of Of the Rope Star (1973-1974). In addition to his artistic practice, Francis was involved in the establishment of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and also founded the Lapis Press.
Saleroom notices
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