Untitled [two figures] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled work, "two figures", on a sheet using ink. Diebenkorn’s marks feel like they are constantly searching. He draws and redraws the image into being, never quite settling on any one line. The dark ink pools to create both abstract shapes and a scene. Look at the heavy black mark making at the bottom of the sheet which could be seen to describe the shadow on the floor, or the dark definition of the figure's dress or trousers. This area then plays against the finer lines describing the figures in the composition, creating a tension between legibility and pure form. I see this as Diebenkorn working through an idea or composition with a directness and commitment to the process. It brings to mind Guston’s late works, as art which isn’t afraid to be awkward, and in this way opens itself up to multiple interpretations.