153 Badger in the Wood Box, 1992

The Late San Francisco series marks a shift in how I approached both color and meaning. Earlier works carried vertical color fields and simple catalog numbers. During this period, the titles began pairing numbers with brief phrases—capturing thoughts or unexpected word combinations that stayed with me. These phrases subtly redirect how an image is read, or push against it. That tension became important, and I’ve continued using this approach in many later series.

In this series, I moved away from the older, pre-planned grounds. The surfaces became more open and responsive to the moment. I was trying to catch something about the atmosphere of a place or circumstance—not literally, but in an abstract sense.

The FOLPs remain central. They are released onto the surface as both a physical action and a kind of presence. Once they land, they react to the environment around them. They can appear to step in, hold back, or shift direction—much like people do. This way of thinking carried forward into the Manila, La Jolla Indian Reservation, San Calamity, and Starter Night series.