Sam Francis
Untitled, 1989
Acrylic on paper
32 1/4 x 22 3/4 in
Signed on verso
Available at Surovek Gallery
Both the life and work of American artist Sam Francis (1923-1994) are extraordinary and we are pleased to be able to present his work at Surovek Gallery.
Francis was born in San Mateo, California. He joined the US Air Force in 1943 and trained as a pilot. A flying accident left him seriously injured and he spent several years in the hospital, diagnosed with spinal tuberculosis. He was in a cast and bedridden, and it was during that time that his friend, artist David Park, encouraged Francis to begin to paint.
When Francis was able to leave the hospital, he went to Berkeley and earned both his BA degree and MA degree n Art.
He spent the 1950s in Paris, where he became associated with American and French artists and was introduced to Claude Duthuit, the son-in-law of Henri Matisse. Francis’ first exhibition was in Paris in 1952 and was an instant success.
He traveled through Western Europe and Japan, where his work was well received. His artistic debut in New York was in 1956 with a solo show at the Martha Jackson Gallery and his work was included in the Museum of Modern Art's 12 Americans exhibition. Many consider Francis to be the world’s first truly international artist. In the late 1950s to mid-1960s, his works commanded the highest prices of any living painter.
Francis was married five times and had four children. In the mid-1960s he had studios in both Santa Monica and Tokyo, although he began to spend more time in the U.S. He mentored and supported other artists, like Ed Ruscha, established the Litho Shop in Santa Monica and was a founding trustee of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.
References:
Lauren Moya Ford. Artist Sam Francis Gets His First Comprehensive Biography. Hyperallergic. October 24, 2021.
John Yau. Three Postwar American Painters Who Were Too European for New York. Hyperallergic. October 29, 2017.
Roberta Smith. Sam Francis, 71, Abstract Artist Celebrated for His Use of Color. The New York Times. November 8, 1994.
Please contact clay@surovekgallery.com if you would like more information about the work of Sam Francis available at Surovek Gallery.
