Untitled [sketch of a profile] [verso] 1955 - 1967

This is a sketch of a profile by Richard Diebenkorn made with pencil. Look at the way he’s drawn this figure – so tentative, so searching. It’s like he’s feeling his way around the form, trying to capture something elusive. I can imagine Diebenkorn with his pencil hovering over the paper, squinting at his model, trying to translate what he sees into a few simple lines. Do you see how the lines are thin and delicate, almost like whispers? It reminds me of his later abstract paintings, where he’s also trying to capture something ephemeral, something just beyond reach. It’s like he’s saying, "I'm not sure what I'm looking at, but I'm going to keep looking until I find it." That’s what keeps us all going, right? That’s what makes art so exciting. It’s not about having all the answers; it’s about asking the right questions. And Diebenkorn, he was always asking the right questions.