Untitled [studies of two heads] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn created this untitled study of two heads using ink and graphite wash on paper. The composition immediately strikes us with its contrasts: the raw, unfinished lines of the left head versus the more shaded and solid form of the right. This tension in form speaks to the essence of Diebenkorn's approach. The rapid, almost frantic lines suggest an attempt to capture the fleeting essence of form, juxtaposed with the solid mass of the second head. It's as if Diebenkorn is exploring different modes of representation within a single frame. Consider the semiotic implications: the contrast might imply a dialogue between different states of being, presence and absence, or even the struggle between concept and perception. Diebenkorn's sketch becomes a site where fixed meanings are challenged, inviting us to question the nature of representation itself. Note how these formal qualities function not just aesthetically but as an inquiry into how we perceive and understand reality.