Sam Francis

1975 / 52 min. / color
Directed by Michael Blackwood

Driven by his dreams, the subconscious and the complexities of color, Sam Francis began his career from a hospital bed in 1945. While recovering from the injuries he sustained during his time in the Air Force, Francis felt he was fueled by a force larger than himself and recalls his early explorations of painting and the compelling need to work with his hands. Though often considered to be a Second Generation Abstract Expressionist, Francis did not limit himself to a specific movement. Inspired deeply by the time he spent in Paris and Japan, Francis’s paintings seem to evoke both the physicality and spirituality of the places he loved. Always searching within himself for answers, Francis connected with color on an intimate level stating that “a color in a way is a receptacle of a feeling.” (Sam Francis) To watch him work is to share in these feelings. Francis allows us to venture behind the curtain and gain rare insight into the mind and musings that surround his work. Enthralled by Jungian psychology, Francis drew inspiration from the often outré scenes he faced in his dreams and in doing so encouraged his viewer to explore their own subconscious. He tells his spectators, “the space at the center of these paintings is reserved for you.” (Sam Francis)