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Historical Artist - Sam Francis (1923 - 1994)
Sam Francis was serving in the US Army Air Corps when he injured his spine during a plane
crash. He took up painting in 1944 while recovering in the hospital. Francis moved to Paris in
1950 and studied under Leger. The friends he met, most of who were members of the Art Informel
movement, influenced his style. He visited Japan several times and his thin drip technique is
reminiscent of Japanese contemplative art. Francis returned to his home state, California, in
1961, eventually settling in Santa Monica. His work took on a Minimalist attitude upon his
return to the States. He also produced murals, watercolors, lithographs, and some sculptures.
Francis spent some time in Paris executing entirely monochromatic works, but his mature pieces
are generally large oil paintings with splashed or splattered areas of bright contrasting
colour. Areas of white canvas are often left to show through, and in later works, paint is
sometimes confined to the edges of the canvas. During the final three decades of his career his
style of large scale bright Abstract expressionism was also closely associated with Color field
painting.
Contemporary American Artists
Art Galleries in United States of America
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