(1923-1994) is one of the most distinctive and collected 20th-century abstract artists.
After serving in the Air Force in WW II, Francis returned to his native California immersing himself in art making. By the end of the 1940s, he was devoted to painting which led him to learn, exhibit, and travel internationally. His formative years were spent in Paris having moved there at the end of 1950.
In 1953 one of his canvases was included in the MoMA's seminal exhibition "Twelve Artists" which quickly led to his international reputation.
Francis is stylistically associated with the second generation of abstract expressionist painters. Although American, he was not tethered to New York City, instead spending the 1950s working/exhibiting globally including Paris, Mexico City, and Switzerland. As a result, he is somewhat independent of the collectives and "isms" normally used to describe post-war abstraction.
His inimitable style is consistently present in Francis' body of work; a combination of splatter and vaguely biomorphic forms executed in saturated primary colors where a pure white background is revealed or remains exposed.
"Her Blue Deeps" exemplifies Francis' vibrant aesthetic with a rich palette centered on lush sweeps of deep indigo and cerulean blue. Underneath the swirling, intense forms that blanket the surface, vivid accents of turquoise and blood orange emerge, imbuing the composition with an incredible sense of depth and wonder. Although this print was created in the 1970's it certainly evokes the aesthetic and approach of Francis' work in Paris - and his contemporaries that inspired him notably Jean-Paul Riopelle.
"Her Deep Blues" is one of the most desirable and recognized Sam Francis prints. It is featured on the cover of "The Prints of Sam Francis: A Catalogue Raisonne 1960-1990: Lithographs". It is truly a testament to Francis' mastery of color, form, and technical prowess in printmaking.
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"Her Blue Deeps"
USA, 1972
Lithograph on Rives BFK
Hand-signed and numbered 1/3 Exp by the artist
1/3 Experimental Proofs (Outside the edition of 19)
31"H 22"W (work)
35"H 25.75"W (framed)
Framed with museum glass
Very good condition