Untitled (Wheel of Fortune) is a vibrant and highly expressive work on paper by Sam Francis, created in 1976 during a particularly strong period in the artist’s career. With its explosive use of colour, energetic gesture and open composition, the work captures many of the qualities that made Francis one of the most distinctive figures of post-war American abstraction.
The work also has a particularly appealing connection to Francis’ long-standing relationship with Japan: in 1986, it was used as the image for a Sam Francis poster for Suntory Hall in Tokyo. That history gives the work an additional cultural resonance beyond its purely visual qualities.
Presented in excellent condition and professionally framed, it is a compelling opportunity to acquire a strong and well-documented work by one of the key international artists of the post-war period.
Provenance
Rosalind Wholden Thomas Collection, California
Los Angeles Modern Auctions, Post War & Contemporary Art
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Exhibited
Boston, Institute of Contemporary Art, Sam Francis: Works on Paper, a Survey 1948-1979, September 11-October 28, 1989 (exh. cat. no. 38, illustrated) (later traveled to Sapporo, Sapporo American Center; Fukuoka City, Fukuoka City Museum of Art; Kyoto City, Kyoto City Museum of Art; Osaka, Osaka American Center; Manila, American Cultural Center; Manila, Gallery of the Cultural Center for Philippines; Taipei, American Institute in Taiwan America Cultural Center; Kaohsiung, Taiwan, American Institute in Taiwan Cultural Center; Hong Kong, Hong Kong Art Centre, Pao-Sui Loong Galleries; Seoul, American Embassy Exhibition Hall; Daegu, South Korea, Keimyung University; Pusan, South Korea; Kwangju, South Korea).Santa Barbara, College of Creative Studies, University of Santa Barbara, May 1989.
Literature
P. Selz, et. al. Sam Francis, New York, 1982, no. 154, (illustrated p. 232, listed as Wheel of Fortune).
