Sam Francis (American, 1923-1994). Monotype on handmade paper titled "Chariot," 1985. This print depicts an abstract composition of amorphous forms in various colors such as red, blue, yellow, black, and green. Signed in pencil along the lower right. Original artist pencil inventory number on the lower edge of the verso "GTW-VF-VB. 03-#2-1985." With detached gallery labels.

Provenance: Pamela Auchincloss Gallery, Santa Barbara, California; Flanders, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Private Minnesota Collection.

Lot Essay:
Sam Francis came to be an artist under unlikely circumstances. After serving the Air Force during World War II, Francis was injured during flight test maneuvers and subsequently hospitalized. It was while he was recovering that he first began to paint. Francis went on to graduate from the University of California, Berkeley in 1950 with a degree in art and began his European travels. His first stop was Paris, where he studied Monet’s “Water Lilies” and developed a relationship with the Matisse family and artists such as Al Held, Joan Mitchell, and Jean-Paul Riopelle. He went on to develop and maintain studios in Bern, Paris, Tokyo, Mexico City, New York and Northern and Southern California.

Sam Francis was considered a revolutionary master of color, space, and light. His works call to various art movements - New York Abstract Expressionism, Impressionism, Art Informel, and color field painting. They are characterized by bright, vibrant splashes of color against a luminous white background. Francis took great interest in the creative process, but his understanding of the relationship between color and light set him apart from contemporaries such as Jackson Pollock and solidified him as a key player in contemporary art history.
Height: 30 in x width: 25 1/2 in The sheet is in excellent condition with no tears, rips, losses, or restorations. The colors are bold and bright. Along the verso there are two areas of framer's tape along the top left and right edge. There are two rectangular areas of skimming to the sheet along the upper left and right corners of the verso. Each measure 1 inch x 1.5 inches. Purple and red spots along the verso original to the artistic process. It is possible that there is very light wear along the deckled edges. There are natural areas of unevenness to the paper due to the handmade nature of the material. Not framed.