Girl on a Terrace 1956

Editor: So this is Richard Diebenkorn's "Girl on a Terrace," painted in 1956 using oil paints. It’s currently at the Royal Academy of Arts. The color palette feels so uniquely Californian and I get a real sense of mid-century coolness from the figure. What strikes you when you look at this? Curator: I'm fascinated by the layers of seeing Diebenkorn presents. Notice how the landscape behind the figure seems almost flattened, an abstract backdrop. It invites us to consider the girl's place within the world. Are those stripes a fence, or is that her dress? What emotional barrier, physical or metaphorical, is implied? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way. I just saw a fashionable summer outfit, but you’re right, it’s ambiguous. It does create a sense of her being slightly separated from that vibrant landscape. Curator: And what about the colors themselves? That particular shade of blue. The symbolism and emotions tied to blue, which in turn relate to fidelity, tranquility and confidence but it can also reflect a degree of coldness or sadness. What mood do these colors evoke in *you*? Do you sense any tension with the more earthly, vital greens? Editor: It's interesting... the blue does feel somewhat detached and cool. Maybe she is pensive. But the green has hope. They seem to reflect an inner tension for her. It almost feels like he’s internalized that tension *into* the landscape itself! Curator: Exactly. It makes us consider the interplay between interiority and the external world and question the emotional weight such visual symbols might carry. Editor: I really appreciate you pointing out how the landscape works symbolically. It really is all carefully placed to reflect the subject’s inner thoughts. Curator: Indeed. Considering the layers embedded in one single image transforms it!