While working with Elena Sainz on her father’s art – Francisco Sainz, several interesting stories emerged about important artists that were close friends of his.  These friends included Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Esteban Vicente, Lee Krasner, Lester Johnson, Alfred Leslie, and many others.  Elena shared her memories and photographs during one of the most important times in American art history.  I share some of them with you in this document.

Esteban Vicente

Esteban Vicente (1903-2001), abstract painter, collagist and one of the last surviving members of the New York School was a great friend of Francisco Sainz.

Two great Abstract Expressionist painters

Francisco and Esteban at Francisco’s Home

Willem de Kooning

“Bill loved to hang out and drink with the Bonackers (the name of the locals, in East Hampton).

My ex husband's father was a printer for the East Hampton Star. He would tell me that he often....this was the eighties, would find de Kooning fallen off of his bicycle, too drunk to help himself....in the seventies. My father in law would put his bicycle in his car and drive De Kooning home. He had a disdain as did most of the locals for the art of de Kooning or Pollock. It made no sense to the locals.

But, Bill immersed himself with the locals, drank with them and I learned that my father, in his last days would hang out with a local guy on his road.  This guy told me...."Elena, you have no idea of the important people who used to come to your father's house".....he lived in a little shack houses from my father.

What I found fascinating about Bill's bio is how he loved the locals and drank and socialized with THEM, while other artists were having important "parties" and social events solely for other New York artists.  I think the drinking bill did made it easy for him to connect with the locals.”

Lisa De Kooning

“I remember my dad taking me to De Koonings studio in Springs/the Hamptons...it had just been built, and I remember how proud Bill was. I was friends with his only daughter, Lisa. This was a big deal....and it was in the mid sixties that that studio was even built, and having read the bio I realize that the studio was designed by another good friend of my father's...Athos Zacharias.”

Carlos Anduze (De Kooning’s Assistant)

“He [Carlos] told me that he used to take me and Lisa to Bridgehampton to this famous candy shop and we would just gorge on candy. He said he sort of had to hide it from my mother, because she wasn't crazy about the candy thing.

He attended my father's funeral...he also had dinner with me and my brother...he was at the reception and he was a pall bearer for my father at his burial.”

Carlos Anduze (On the right) at Francisco Sainz’ funeral

Jackson Pollock

Jackson Pollock and Francisco were very close friends.

“I will tell you a story...it is a bit convoluted, but I spent a lot of time with Carlos, De Kooning's main and current assistant, when I was last in New York. He had tried to get my father burried at the Green River Cemetery, where Pollock is laid to rest. It was my father's dream. I had assumed that de Kooning was buried there, but from what I read in his book, I don't think he is????”

As an artist, Francisco Sainz never pursued fame or fortune – although encouraged by critics and his fellow artists/friends.  He was considered by artists such as Pollock, Bill De Kooning, Lisa De Kooning, Vicente, Rothko and others as “A Painter’s Painter” -  the ultimate tribune to a great but extremely humble artist.

Elena  Sainz and James Dunn Fine Art is pleased to present the works of this important contributor to the Abstract Expressionism movement to the art community.  In fact, we present his entire estate of art works to the world so the Jose Francisco Sainz can take his place in art history.