Untitled [seated nude resting her head on her right hand] [recto] 1955 - 1967

Editor: This is an ink drawing by Richard Diebenkorn, made sometime between 1955 and 1967, titled "Untitled [seated nude resting her head on her right hand] [recto]". The economy of line is striking; there's so much information conveyed with such sparse means. What catches your eye in this work? Curator: For me, it's about the labor embedded in that "sparse means." Look at the drips and inconsistencies in the ink. It’s not just a flowing line, it’s a record of a hand moving, of ink being applied with varying pressure, speed, even the absorbency of the paper itself. Does that material vulnerability shift how you view the figure represented? Editor: It does, actually. It feels less idealized, more like a quick observation, almost a sketch capturing a fleeting moment, rather than some timeless depiction of the female form. I guess that makes it seem more honest? Curator: Honesty's a tricky word, implying intention we can’t really know. But what is present are the observable facts of its making, and those facts have a social dimension. What does it tell us about art production, about the commodification of the nude, if this drawing, so direct and unpretentious in its materials, can be seen in the same space as other drawings and paintings made with a different degree of materials and art historical traditions? Editor: It levels the playing field a little. I see your point. It brings the element of labor into the picture, challenging the myth of the effortless masterpiece, perhaps demystifying the role of art production overall. Curator: Exactly. What begins as a study in line becomes an opportunity to rethink the power dynamics in artistic creation, how materials themselves become entangled in questions of value and access. Editor: It’s interesting to think of the materials not just as tools, but as active participants in the artwork's meaning. I'll never see a simple line drawing the same way again! Curator: That's the power of close looking – and thinking critically about the world through the lens of materials and the processes which impact how they are handled!