Untitled [model leaning on a stand] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this drawing of a model leaning on a stand with ink on paper. What I find so striking is the push-pull between abstraction and figuration. You can clearly see the figure, but it’s rendered in such a loose, gestural way. The ink washes create a beautiful sense of depth and atmosphere. The heavy blacks contrasted with the bare paper are, like, so Diebenkorn, you know? Look at the way he builds up the shadows around the face and torso with these quick, scribbly marks, there’s so much energy. It’s as if he’s trying to capture the essence of the figure in a single, fleeting moment. Diebenkorn was really interested in the process of painting, and how the act of mark-making could reveal something about the subject, and about the artist. This piece reminds me a little of Franz Kline, or maybe Robert Motherwell, in the way it balances spontaneity with careful consideration. For Diebenkorn it’s never about a single interpretation, but about embracing the ambiguities and the multiple possibilities of art.