GLENDALE, CA.- Published in the Fall of 2011 by the University of California Press, the Sam Francis CR is comprised of both printed and digital components presented in a boxed set. The large format hardcover book, which features an extended essay by art historian William C. Agee and a biographical timeline by Debra Burchett-Lere, is 320 pages in length and features over 220 images.

The digital component of the Catalogue Raisonné is archived on 2 DVDs which will work on both Mac and Windows operating systems.

DVD 1: The Catalogue includes images and detailed entries for 1,910 Sam Francis paintings. The DVDs are fully searchable, and works can be browsed by Francis Foundation Registration Number, Title, Decade, Work Period, Format and Collection.

DVD 2: The Artist is an archive of materials including essays about the artist’s studios and techniques, writings by Sam Francis and his associates, two short films of Francis at work, biographical listings and a photo album.

Beth Ann Whittaker-Williams, the Documentation Coordinator of the Sam Francis Foundation, notes that bringing together a “coffee table” book with the functionality of a digital archive has created a remarkable hybrid catalogue. “Essentially the catalogue lives on your computer,” she comments. “You can be flying to Art Basel and be researching artworks on your laptop. That is unique.”

The Sam Francis CR is the result of over two decades of research and effort by Debra Burchett-Lere, the catalogue’s editor and Director of the Sam Francis Foundation. The Catalogue Raisonné of Canvas and Panel Paintings will be supplemented over time via the internet, and will be followed in the future by a second volume – now in progress – of unique Sam Francis works on paper.

The Legacy of Sam Francis
Sam Francis (1923-1994) was of the twentieth century’s leading interpreters of light and color. Born in California, and inspired to paint while recovering from spinal tuberculosis, Francis was deeply affected by his exposure to French and Japanese culture. Because his career was international – he maintained studios over time in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Bern and Tokyo -- many of finest works are in overseas collections and have not been exhibited in the United States. Approximately 600 of the paintings presented in the Catalogue Raisonné of Canvas and Panel Paintings had not previously been documented.

The Sam Francis Foundation is dedicated to promoting the exhibition and study of Francis’ unique oeuvre. The Catalogue Raisonné has been designed for use in art schools, colleges and universities, and as a reference for art historians, collectors, and curators.