Sam FrancisCoral Marine. 1973

Original

colour lithograph. 1973. Signed in pencil. Inscribed in pencil as 'C.T.P.' - colour

trial proof.  One of only four trial impressions experimenting with differing

colour effects, each one an individual colour variant. Before the small

issued edition of 23. Drawn and printed by Francis. At this date in 1973 he was

working with Hitoshi Takasuki the master-printer at ‘The Litho Shop’ in Santa

Monica, Francis’s  ‘home’ print studio..

This very rare colour variant focuses on wonderful tones of blue

and aquamarine, with a flickering sense of under-water light.

Reference: Lembark - Francis The Graphic work no L 156.

Superb

impression with glowing colours on pale cream BFK Rives paper. Excellent

original condition. Printed to the full sheet size: 64.7 x 88.8 cm. 25 1/2 x 35

ins.

A superb expression of Francis' outstanding use of pure colour

abstraction in the medium of lithography in the 1970's and his central

contribution to the 'Colour Field' movement in American art of this period.

Sam

Francis was one of the most creative and influential painters of the American ‘Abstract

Expressionist’ and ‘Colour Field’ movements of the 1960’s and 1970’s.

In

the 1950’s, motivated by the new freedoms of the Post War era, Francis moved to

Paris where he was greatly inspired by the work of Miró. Miró suggested he

should experience the new style of Japanese art with its sense of calligraphy

in the brushwork.  Francis took his

advice and followed Miró to Tokyo. This led on to periods in Switzerland

because of the great graphic art studios there and finally to New York. There is

also a strong ‘Zen’ element in his inspiration and that was very greatly

admired when he was part of the seminal ‘Twelve Artists’

exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art In New York in 1956. During the 1970’s

he moved back to his birth area of California and continued to live there until

the end of his life in 1994.

The

combination of all these changes of environment and intellectual inspiration gave

his art its sense of what he called  ‘universality

through colour’ and it is this which has been the foundation of his

world-wide reputation.