Sam Francis, Color in Space

 Odile Chen / Ravenel Quarterly No. 46 / 2024-04-30

Eye-catching Celebrity Collection Auction

Paul Allen (1953-2018) epitomized versatility as an inventor, investor, archaeologist, philanthropist, and foremost, an ardent lover of art. In 1975, he co-founded Microsoft alongside his childhood confidant, Bill Gates (born in 1955), catalyzing the personal computing revolution of the 1970s and 1980s. Besides pioneering in technology, Paul Allen's ventures extended to owning professional football and basketball teams, and holding shares in DreamWorks Studios. His life was a tapestry of passions, spanning scientific exploration, archaeology, aviation, music, and the curation of exquisite art collections. Tragically, he succumbed to lymphoma in 2018 at the age of 65, leaving behind an estimated net worth of US$20.3 billion and securing the 44th position on Forbes' global billionaires list that year.

A common adage suggests that auctions are often fueled by the three Ds: Death, Divorce, and Debt. With no spouse or children, Paul Allen's remarkable art collection eventually found its way to the auction block. Four years posthumously, in 2022, Christie's in New York hosted a two-day auction exclusively dedicated to Paul Allen's collection, showcasing 155 iconic pieces. The event shattered records, achieving a staggering US$1.62 billion in total sales, marking the highest ever achieved in a single-owner auction. This auction marked a highly anticipated milestone, signaling the resurgence of art auctions post the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the treasures auctioned was a masterpiece portraying cascading waves of abstract hues. Crafted by American maestro Sam Francis (1923-1994), the painting titled "Composition in Black and Blue" (1955) drew inspiration from the interplay of light and color on the hospital ceiling during Francis's convalescence. It fetched a remarkable US$13,557,500 (approximately NT$432.5 million), setting a new benchmark for the artist's auction sales, far surpassing the estimated value of US$4-6 million. This cherished piece was once a part of Paul Allen's collection, acquired from the Gagosian Gallery in 2001 and held dear for over a decade.

The success of Allen's collection auction has brought renewed attention to Sam Francis and his art. Previously, Francis's paintings were undervalued compared to those of his contemporaries in the American abstract art scene, such as Clyfford Still and Jackson Pollock, both of whose highest auction prices have exceeded US$60 million. This auction's achievement was an early celebration of a series of centennial events commemorating the artist. In 2023, marking Sam Francis's centenary, the Sam Francis Foundation collaborated with important galleries to commemorate the occasion through exhibitions, educational activities, special projects, articles, and archival explorations, evoking memories of the vibrant artist's life. In April 2023, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) held a three-month exhibition titled "Sam Francis and Japan: Emptiness Overflowing," showcasing over 60 works.

On September 16 of the same year, the Anderson Collection at Stanford University in California staged a solo exhibition titled "Sam Francis Centennial" to honor the artist's 100th birthday, extending till March 3, 2024. As 2024 marks the thirtieth anniversary of Francis's passing, retrospection on his legacy becomes poignant. Sam Francis remains a beacon among 20th-century abstract expressionists, heralding a new era of American artistic prominence post-World War II.

Representing the pinnacle of American abstract painting, Sam Francis made indelible contributions to Action Painting. His mastery lay in interpreting light and lines, underscored by a diverse array of influences ranging from New York Abstract Expressionism to color field painting, Eastern philosophies, and French Impressionism. Rooted in the Bay Area, his eclectic background enriched his artistic oeuvre, defining him as a luminary of his time.

Award-winning writer Gabrielle Selz authored "Light on Fire: The Art and Life of Sam Francis" in 2021, offering the most comprehensive biography of the artist to date. Coincidentally, her father had also written a book about the artist in 1982, marking a serendipitous connection. Selz's new book encapsulates the tumultuous life of the artist: Sam Francis was born in 1923 in San Mateo, California, and became renowned for his monumental, vividly colored abstract paintings. He endured severe spinal tuberculosis, spending three years immobilized in a full-body cast, during which he diligently self-taught himself painting. Over his illustrious 50-year career, Francis produced over 10,000 artworks, held more than 100 solo exhibitions, and during the late 1950s to mid-1960s, commanded the highest prices among living painters. Widely regarded as the world's first truly international artist, Francis traversed three continents, married five times, and embarked on creative ventures worldwide. Beyond his prolific artistic endeavors, he founded a publishing company, printing press, holistic medical research center, reforestation program, and a wind energy company that remains operational today.

What a legendary life it was, inviting us to delve deeper into the overview of this remarkable artist's journey.

Art Saved Francis

The artist Sam Francis, born Samuel Lewis Francis, on June 25, 1923, in San Mateo, California, was situated in the western part of the Bay Area in San Francisco. His mother, Katherine Lewis Francis, a pianist and French teacher, and his father, Samuel Augustus Francis Sr., a mathematics professor, bestowed upon him his name as an amalgamation of his mother's maiden name and his father's first name, as a token of reverence and admiration.

Sam Francis was the eldest son, with a younger brother named George. Tragedy struck in 1935 when their mother passed away, sparking in young Sam an interest in music as a means of remembering her. The following year, a tragic accident occurred at school when he accidentally shot and killed his best friend. This harrowing memory left an indelible scar on his life. Later, he formed a profound bond with his stepmother, Virginia Peterson Francis, somewhat mitigating the pain of his childhood loss. 

In 1941, at the age of 18, Sam Francis enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, to study pre-medical and psychology courses, graduating two years later. The United States entered World War II in 1941, and young Sam joined the United States Army Air Forces in 1943 to serve his country. Flying allowed him to marvel at the vast and boundless landscapes, which fascinated him. However, a year later, he was involved in a crash during a training flight, sustaining severe injuries that led to spinal tuberculosis. He was encased in a full-body cast for three years, hospitalized for several more years. Sam Francis's plight attracted many celebrities, including David Park, a pivotal figure in the Bay Area Figurative Art movement, who visited him during his hospitalization, providing him with art supplies, books, and encouragement to pass the time through painting. Park even borrowed small paintings by Paul Klee, Juan Miró, and Picasso from collector friends, which adorned the hospital walls for a day. These masterpieces, along with Park himself, became Francis' sources of inspiration.

To alleviate the endless days of recovery, he turned to painting for solace, transforming his hospital ward into a studio. With his body immobilized in a plaster cast, suspended above his bed, he adopted a prone position, often captivated by the flowing light on the ceiling. During this time, he primarily worked with watercolors. He later proclaimed, "Art saved my life."

He spent three years at the Veterans Administration Hospital in San Francisco, where he received formal art instruction for the first time. In 1947, he recuperated in the artist community of Carmel, where he began experimenting with abstract expressionist paintings. He returned to Berkeley in 1948 to major in art, quickly earning bachelor's and master's degrees.

Through studying the works of renowned artists such as Mark Rothko, Arshile Gorky, and Clyfford Still, Francis honed his mastery of color expression. He also befriended second-generation abstract expressionist female painters Joan Mitchell and Helen Frankenthaler, mutually influencing each other's artistic endeavors.

Wandering the World with Unrivaled Confidence

In 1950, Francis bypassed New York and headed to Paris, where his arrival caused a stir on both sides of the Atlantic, showcasing his exceptional artistic talent. As a result, Francis was hailed as "the first International artist." During his sojourn in Paris, he gradually befriended artists from around the world, including Jean-Paul Riopelle from Canada, Pierre Alechinsky from Belgium, Karel Appel from the Netherlands, Walasse Ting from China, and Joan Mitchell from the United States, who was also studying in France at the time. They formed deep bonds of friendship.

Supported by a weekly allowance of US$75 from the U.S. veterans, Francis had the means to sustain himself in Paris after the war. He had the opportunity to study at Fernand Léger's studio, where he was exposed to the art of Pierre Bonnard and Henri Matisse, sparking his interest in the study of light and color. Furthermore, his meticulous study of Monet's water lilies, with their splendid and thoughtful style, also had a profound influence on Francis's painting, transforming his palette from shades of gray and white to a kaleidoscope of light and color. His paintings gained popularity in Paris, and his reputation reached back to the United States. In 1956, Time magazine hailed Francis as "the hottest American painter in Paris these days," indicating his prominence at the time.

Francis loved to travel, spending time in Paris, the south of France, Tokyo, Mexico City, Bern, and New York. He constantly sought inspiration from beautiful landscapes for his creations.

Although he interacted eagerly with artists and writers from around the world, Francis never actually joined any art groups. However, his artistic style had some connections with Art Informel. A visit to Japan later in his life made him fall in love with Japanese art and culture forever. During the 1950s and 1960s, Japan experienced the "Art Informel storm," (anforumeru senpū) mainly due to the visits of three artists associated with Art Informel at the time: Michel Tapié, Georges Mathieu, and Sam Francis. A wave of enthusiasm for gestural abstraction swept through the Japanese art scene, resonating with the concurrent trend of the Gutai group.

During his time in France, Francis had a close relationship with Walasse Ting, and they influenced each other artistically. Although both men were passionate about traveling, when they couldn't meet in person, they communicated through letters. Ting once jokingly wrote on a postcard that Francis's sexual magnetism was aweinspiring. Both men loved women and enjoyed sexual adventures. One was obsessed with erotica, likening himself to a womanizer, while the other was ambitious and infatuated with pursuing women, leading to many anecdotes. While Francis's paintings were in high demand in the market, Ting struggled to make ends meet in his early years. In 1964, Francis funded the publication of "1 Cent Life" by Ting, a collection of color lithographs by 68 artists, including Roy Lichtenstein, Alechinsky, Andy Warhol, and themselves, to support Ting's artistic career.

The Influence of Asian Art

Through Ting's eloquent description, it can be seen that Francis must have been full of male charm, ambitious, and endlessly creative. He had five marriages and four children in his lifetime, with love coming and going quickly. His first marriage was to his college classmate Vera Miller, lasting from 1947 to 1952; the second was with California artist Muriel Goodwin from 1955 to 1958. The third and fourth marriages were both to Japanese wives: Teruko Yokoi, a painter, from 1959 to 1962 (his first daughter, Kayo, was born in 1961); and video artist Maku Idemitsu, with whom he had two sons, Osamu and Shingo, from 1966 to 1985. These two marriages illustrate Francis's connection with Japan and his art was influenced by Japanese philosophy.

Finally, at the age of 62, the artist celebrated his fifth marriage in Japan (1985-1994), also his last, and participated in a Shinto ritual wedding with British artist Margaret Smith, with whom he later had a child named Augustus, named after his grandfather's middle name.

In his five marriages, he married two Japanese wives, which indicates his fondness for Japan. Additionally, Francis himself was an explorer of Jungian analysis and Zen spirituality. He tapped into the energy of the mind and dreams, and also learned from the Japanese tradition of viewing painting as a meditative experience. The Japanese aesthetic of "ma," which involves contemplating blank space, deeply appreciates the concepts of silence, emptiness, and the suspension of time, creating a sense of harmony and balance.After the middle of his career, his works retained more blank space, imbued with more blank space, imbued with more poetry and tranquility. He once explained the blank space in his paintings to the audience: "The space at the center of these paintings is reserved for you."

On the other hand, Francis was invited to create many large-scale mural works throughout his life. In 1956, he was commissioned to complete an abstract mural for the Kunsthalle Basel in Switzerland; during his trip to Japan in 1957, he was invited to paint murals for the Sogetsu School; in 1959, he rented a studio in New York and began a mural for Chase Manhattan Bank, leaving behind many immortal mural works in Europe, such as the entrance hall of the Royal Mint Theatre in Brussels. He established studios in many cities around the world, such as Bern, Paris, Tokyo, Mexico City, New York, and Northern and Southern California, needing visual inspiration from beautiful scenery. Besides art, he also pursued other interests and careers.

In addition to his painting creations, Francis was passionate about research, investment, and environmental protection throughout his life. In 1990, he once established the Sam Francis Art Museum. Although he suffered from physical illness many times in his early years, he redeemed himself through art. But throughout his life, he showed strong willpower and vitality. In 1987, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. In his later years, he was tormented by illness. In the last year of his life, due to an accidental fall that left him unable to use his right hand, he resolutely painted nearly 150 small works with his left hand, just as he persevered in creating art while lying on a sickbed in his youth.

Art Collection and Market Analysis

In 1994, Francis passed away at the age of 71. His several marriages and the vast assets and artworks worth US$79 million left behind by him tangled up in extremely complex and difficult-to-resolve issues, including estate lawsuits and disputes that took years to settle. Later, the records of the artist's estate were collected by the Research Institute of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California. Later generations established the Sam Francis Foundation to collect and study his art materials, publishing the "Catalogue Raisonné of canvas and works on paper from the 1940s through the 1990s."

Sam Francis enjoyed a prolific creative career, which included participation in the 32nd Venice Biennale in 1964 and the third Documenta in Kassel, as well as exhibitions in leading galleries and museums worldwide. His artistic achievements have garnered widespread recognition and acclaim. Today, major international museums proudly display Francis's works, including the Amsterdam Municipal Museum, the Beyeler Foundation in Basel, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Hamburger Kunsthalle, the Menil Foundation in Houston, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Pompidou Center in Paris, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among others.

In the art market, Francis's works have always attracted attention. After the artist's passing, the prices of his paintings gradually rose. The 1950s were the most popular period for Francis, but few works remain on the market. According to his European gallery representative, "His prices are three to four times as expensive as for any other period in his career."

As mentioned earlier, the value of his art remains underestimated. California art dealers attribute this mainly to Francis's absence from the influential New York art scene, resulting in a lack of recognition. Hailing from the West Coast and frequently traveling abroad, Francis lacked the aura associated with New York, which might have altered his market trajectory. With limited liquid assets left behind, his heirs were compelled to release a substantial number of artworks onto the market to meet high estate taxes, causing a period of depressed prices until estate matters were settled and the Sam Francis Foundation was established in California.

Comprising the artist's widow and four children as advisory committee members, the Sam Francis Foundation is led by expert Debra Burchett-Lere, serving as president and executive director. The foundation undertakes extensive research into the artist's life, curates the complete works catalog, and actively supports scholarships and educational initiatives. While the foundation holds a portion of Francis's artwork collection, it refrains from selling it. Collectors have recognized the scarcity of available works, as all pieces have surfaced on the secondary market, resulting in a surge in prices.

Sales of the artist's works on the secondary market show a clear concentration in the United States, accounting for over 55% of total sales turnover, followed by the United Kingdom, France, and Switzerland. However, the market share in Asia remains relatively small, suggesting that Asian collectors are still not extensively acquainted with Francis's work. As the abstract art market continues to garner global attention, there is an opportunity to identify internationally renowned artists who are emblematic yet underappreciated. As we mark the thirtieth anniversary of the artist's passing, we reflect on his unwavering commitment to art and the enduring legacy he has left behind.