Untitled [female nude reaching down with right arm] 1955 - 1967

Editor: Here we have Richard Diebenkorn's "Untitled [female nude reaching down with right arm]" created sometime between 1955 and 1967, a drawing rendered with striking charcoal. It's such an evocative piece, raw and intimate somehow. What do you see in this work? Curator: I see Diebenkorn grappling with representation within abstraction, a conversation so central to the mid-20th century. Think about the male gaze, particularly within Abstract Expressionism. The de Kooning women, for instance. How does Diebenkorn position this female nude within or against that tradition? Editor: I hadn't considered the male gaze so explicitly. She doesn't feel objectified in the same way... Curator: Precisely. Her pose, the reaching, suggests agency. It isn't about passive display. The sketch-like quality, too, pushes against idealized forms. Is Diebenkorn subtly dismantling those conventions? How does the absence of definitive lines contribute to this interpretation? Editor: So, rather than presenting a polished ideal, he’s capturing a moment of movement, of action. It makes it more about the woman herself and less about some prescribed role. Curator: Exactly! And the lack of precise detail allows for the viewer's own interpretation, pushing against the historically restrictive representations of women. Think about the societal expectations placed on women during this period and how artists may have been reacting. Editor: It's incredible how much complexity can be conveyed in such a seemingly simple sketch. It opens up so many important considerations about the history of representation. Curator: Yes, Diebenkorn gives us not just an image, but also a lens through which to view power, gender, and artistic convention.