Untitled [seated nude leaning forward with her hands on her knees] 1955 - 1967

Editor: This is an untitled drawing by Richard Diebenkorn, made sometime between 1955 and 1967. It’s a seated nude figure, created with simple lines. The economy of line gives it an immediacy, almost like a sketch, but it also feels carefully observed. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a focus on the materiality of the process. The drawing itself, the specific graphite used, the paper chosen, those inform our understanding more than any illusion of the figure. How does the weight of the line itself, thin in places, bolder in others, affect how we read the figure's weight, its presence? Editor: That's interesting. I hadn't thought about the *thickness* of the line as being important. Curator: Consider this alongside Diebenkorn’s other work, his paintings. He often used layers of paint, reworking surfaces. Is this drawing also about process? About the act of observation and mark-making, rather than pure representation? Think about how readily available inexpensive paper was at the time as compared to expensive oils. Who has the ability to explore painting as compared to drawing? Editor: So you’re saying that the drawing might be about access and labor as much as the nude figure itself? Curator: Precisely. The rapid, somewhat raw line work challenges the classical ideal, highlighting the accessibility of the medium itself. What sort of visual statements can an artist make using common materials? Editor: That definitely gives me a new way to think about Diebenkorn and this drawing. I was so focused on the figure itself. Curator: Absolutely. Considering the materiality of art changes the power dynamic of access to its consumption and production.