Sam Francis's Fresh Air series emerged in the early 1970s as a pivotal moment in his artistic development, showcasing a renewed interest in color and a distinctive approach to composition. This period in Francis's career is marked by his creation of paintings that featured formal grids or matrices composed of crossing tracks of color. These works, often referred to as Fresh Air pictures, were characterized by their use of pools, drips, and splatters of color applied to wet bands of paint with a roller. This technique highlighted Francis's ongoing exploration of the dynamic interplay between color and form, and the resulting paintings are notable for their vibrant, saturated colors and complex, overlapping geometric shapes​ (www.wikiart.org)​.

Throughout his career, Francis was deeply influenced by his international experiences, particularly his time spent in Japan and his engagement with Zen Buddhism. These influences are evident in his approach to space, form, and the expressive use of color in his artworks from the 1970s and beyond. Francis's work during this decade reflects a period of significant experimentation and innovation, as he continued to push the boundaries of abstract painting and explore new conceptual and pictorial possibilities​ (www.wikiart.org)​​ (Stanford News)​.