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

Richard Diebenkorn made this drawing of a nude, resting her head on her right hand, with graphite on paper. I can imagine Diebenkorn looking intently at the model, making hundreds of marks, rubbing some out, and then adding more. What did she say? Was there music playing? The whole thing has a kind of tentativeness to it—you can see the marks of his process. He’s trying to figure it out, just like any of us would. Looking at this drawing reminds me of de Kooning's gestural marks and sense of energy. It makes me want to get into the studio and make some messes. You can see Diebenkorn's process so clearly, and that’s part of what makes it so compelling. It's like you're watching him think. Artists have been drawing each other’s nudes for centuries, riffing on the same themes. I think that is why it's a conversation, where we all borrow and steal from each other.