Untitled [seated nude with right foot turned under] 1955 - 1967

This seated nude figure was made with charcoal on paper by Richard Diebenkorn. You can see the dark marks and the artist’s process of construction and reconstruction – the shifting and emerging of the figure through trial, error, and intuition. I can just imagine Diebenkorn, charcoal in hand, circling this figure. He starts with what he sees but then seems to move into another realm, almost a dream space. He simplifies and intensifies, not really caring about what’s correct, but looking for something more powerful. It is as if the drawing emerges out of touch, weight, and the pressure of the charcoal. The figure is so clearly there, but somehow partially erased. The beauty of drawing is that an artist can keep searching, adding to the conversation of mark-making, and inspiring future generations of artists. Drawing becomes an embodied expression which embraces ambiguity, allowing multiple readings.