Untitled 1987

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled work on paper using graphite and gouache. It feels like he's feeling out the dimensions of a place, one that might exist, or might not, through a process of layering and correction. Look closely, and you'll notice the surface is built up with thin washes of muted color. These translucent layers allow the graphite lines to peek through, creating a sense of depth and history, like palimpsests of an imagined space. The texture is smooth but not without incident. You can see where the brushstrokes overlap, each mark a record of the artist's hand. That single, sweeping, curved line in the left reminds me of a rollercoaster. This piece really resonates with his Ocean Park series, where he also used geometric forms and subtle color variations to evoke a sense of place and atmosphere. Like Agnes Martin, Diebenkorn embraces ambiguity and openness. There’s no fixed meaning here, just a space for contemplation and personal interpretation.