Untitled [standing female figure looking right] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this sketch of a standing female figure, using ink on paper. The starkness of the black ink against the white ground creates a strong sense of contrast, and there's a boldness in the line work, right? I can imagine Diebenkorn quickly capturing the essence of the figure, trying to find the right balance between the abstract and the representational. I wonder if he was thinking about Matisse, or maybe even some of the early modernists who were so interested in the human form? It feels like he's in conversation with them, but also pushing back, trying to find his own voice. The way he renders the figure is so direct and unadorned. It’s like he’s stripping away all the unnecessary details to get to the core of what it means to be human. We, as artists, are constantly grappling with these questions, building on what came before while trying to break new ground.