Untitled (Abstraction) 1948

This is a drawing by Richard Diebenkorn, made with what looks like charcoal or maybe a very soft pencil on paper. Looking at this piece, I'm struck by how Diebenkorn uses line—it’s not about outlining shapes, but more about feeling the space and letting the marks define it. It's like a dance; he's not trying to control it but letting it happen. The lines themselves are so physical, some are thick and dark, others lighter. They remind me of branches, sort of fractured and overlapping, creating a sense of depth. The way he layers the lines gives the drawing a real weight, even though it's just on paper. It’s all about the push and pull of the charcoal, the texture of the paper. I can imagine him drawing this, really getting into it. Diebenkorn’s approach to abstraction reminds me a lot of Cy Twombly, in the sense of embracing imperfection. The messiness becomes the point. It’s not about perfection, but about the energy and the feeling of the moment.