Untitled [seated woman in a short-sleeved dress] 1955 - 1967

Curator: The elegance in its simplicity strikes me immediately. Editor: That’s a good starting point. Here we have a work by Richard Diebenkorn, titled "Untitled [seated woman in a short-sleeved dress]," likely created between 1955 and 1967. It’s a pencil drawing on paper, focusing on figuration and portraiture. Curator: The medium truly dictates the mood; it's incredibly raw, immediate. What I'm seeing is this almost restless quality communicated through these stark lines. It’s minimal, yet somehow very present. Editor: Consider Diebenkorn's relationship with Bay Area Figurative Movement at the time. Though the piece is largely devoid of social signifiers or environmental context, the choice to return to figuration, moving away from purely abstract expressionism that had been ascendant, makes a profound statement about artmaking and its role at this time. We must account for a post-war boom in access to artistic materials and the shift from painting's being considered a 'high art' to simply a kind of work. Curator: That's fascinating. So you're seeing this work as more about art production trends in California? Whereas for me, what's powerful is that while it's stripped-down, it is carefully constructed with lines which almost overlap, which creates tension. I keep coming back to the woman's pose, she appears self-aware or even burdened. Editor: I find it productive to think about that so-called 'burden' in relation to gender roles that were very restrictive in the period. It looks effortless but is really communicating social tensions felt in the workforce and home. Curator: Interesting how we perceive its form and impact so differently. Ultimately, it sparks something in both of us! Editor: Indeed. Diebenkorn gives us so much, but so economically.