Samuel Lewis Francis, born in San Mateo, California, on June 25, 1923, stands out as one of the most influential American painters. Initially he dedicated himself to studying botany, medicine and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. His military career in the United States Air Force during the Second World War was interrupted due to an accident, which led him to rediscover his passion for art in Berkley, under the guidance of Clifford Still .
Francis' painting is distinguished by its freedom of structures with impressionistic traces. It then evolved in the context of abstract expressionism and American action painting, influenced by artists such as Mark Rothko, Arshile Gorky and above all Jackson Pollock . Despite these influences, Sam Francis never fits perfectly into any art school, forging a unique and global path.
In 1943, Sam Francis becomes an Air Force pilot. After a plane crash, he spends a long period in hospital, where he begins painting as a form of therapy. He then studied painting at the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco, and in 1947 he created his first abstract painting. He earned a master's degree in literature in art history at the University of California, Berkeley.
In 1950, he moved to Paris, where he held his first solo exhibition at the Galerie du Dragon in 1952. The His style is influenced by informal art and abstract expressionism. In 1955, he exhibited in a museum for the first time, and in 1957 he made an influential trip to New York, Mexico and Japan, integrating Eastern artistic practices into his paintings. He participated in Documenta II and the Sao Paulo Biennial in 1959.
Sam Francis married five times, generating a strong family and artistic bond. He initially joins Vera Miller, then the Californian painter Muriel Goodwin, followed by the Japanese painter Teruko Yokoi, with whom he has a daughter, Kayo. He then marries Mako Idemitsu, with whom he has two children, Osamu and Shingo, and finally Margaret Smith, with whom he has a son, Augustus.
Action painting
Sam Francis
Sam Francis Painter
The best artworks of art in your home at the best price!
Sam FRANCIS artworks for sale on EmporiumArt