Creativity Born From Sickness

The past couple of days have been…less than ideal. I have been, and for the most part, still am, ill, sprawled in my bed, under layers of blankets, sweating whatever ails me, all the while coughing up a lung (not literally…thank goodness). At times like these, having someone close by to take care of you and make that potent cure-all & heal-all chicken soup would be brilliant but, alas, I am alone in Boston. With a new job at the art gallery and all, I did not want to be seen as a burden or liability so I took an “in sickness or in health, till [I leave voluntarily or am sacked] do we part” stance with this new responsibility of mine. So, there I was dragging my feet through the gallery and silencing my cough as much as possible until something “clicked” between Sam Francis and my weary soul, puffy eyes, and blocked sinuses. When I first visited the gallery, I walked past these blotches and haphazard, chaotic-looking pieces of art with only a glance and a thought (a thought that many non-creatives or normies would make), “I could have done that.” In any case, in my state of deterioration these two pieces (as seen on the pink wall or 94-101 & 94-131) in particular drew me into its micro-universe of color, light, and space as though I was engulfed in a pocket universe… a universe created by the brilliant abstract painter, Sam Francis.

I will not pretend to be this all-knowing art critique or connoisseur so I won’t spend much of any space talking about the composition or the artist’s background but I will talk about that emotional “click” that inspired me.

A Little About Sam Francis

Okay…so, maybe a little background information would be good for everyone. Sam Francis is an “American” (right, Francis is American but I say “American” because his work has a deeper connection with France, Europe than America) abstract painter born in 1923 and lived a colorful life before his cancerous end on November 4th 1994 at the age of 71. During his artistic career he often traveled around from the United States to Mexico, to places in Europe like Switzerland and France, and to countries in Asia such as Thailand and Japan... you get the picture, he travels a lot (and so do I! Great minds). You don’t have to be an art connoisseur to determine what’s characteristic of his work and that is “fluidity.” There is something in his work that keeps it afloat, in its entirety or partially, as blobs of pain just bob about like an underwater sea creature.

Let's Get Back To Talking About Me

So far, I have babbled on about the great abstraction painter, Sam Francis, so I’m sure you’re asking that question that usually comes after a new piece of informational nugget, “So what?” What about the work ties with my current deplorable state? Well, the pieces that are hanging on the gallery walls of Martin Lawrence Gallery (Boston) are from his last works, a couple of the 150 works produced during his last few months on Earth. I’m not saying that I was in a state of death, or anywhere near it (that being said, it sure felt like it) but it’s this spirit, his dedication, to the art and his craft that was so inspiring in my time of weakness. Despite being on a wheelchair or losing his right, painting, hand, he battled on and produced 150 mystical pieces that would be his last works.

After that moment of epiphany I went out onto the streets of Boston to capture/create moments for my Instagram. Here are a couple of them:

Spring Is Here? Is that Set In[Between] Stones?

As I’ve previously mentioned, I am not an “artist” by any means (a creative, maybe…but an artist, I don’t think so), however, a couple of the moments I shot were – dare I say it, “artsy.” While I really should have spent the time recuperating in my small apartment room as opposed to gallivanting in a creative frenzy (especially if those early April sunny days belie a cold freeze)… I regret nothing!

Though I’m far away from being “artsy,” just like Sam Francis, I will continue on writing and snapping!