Untitled [figure lying down and raising elbow] 1955 - 1967

Here we have an untitled drawing of a figure lying down and raising their elbow, by Richard Diebenkorn. The drawing is all about the power of suggestion, of just a few lines to conjure a whole world. Look at the way Diebenkorn uses line. It's scratchy, tentative, like he's feeling his way around the form. The lines aren't precious or labored, but so loose and free. It makes you think of someone sketching quickly, trying to capture a fleeting moment, or a feeling. Check out how he suggests the form of the figure. There’s a lot of space between the lines. Our minds want to fill in the gaps, and complete the image for ourselves. For me this drawing speaks to the way Diebenkorn was always working through things, questioning, revising. Like the best art, this piece isn't about answers but about the ongoing process of seeing and thinking. It reminds me a bit of Matisse, particularly his line drawings later in life, a reduction to the essential.