Untitled [interior with standing female nude] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this ink wash drawing, “Untitled [interior with standing female nude]”, with energetic, gestural marks. The whole thing is about process, and the way the body and interior emerge out of these quick, confident strokes. He's used thinned black ink to create a range of grays and blacks, playing with transparency and opacity. Look at the way he suggests form with these washes. See the dark, solid strokes that define the chair on the left? They contrast with the lighter, more fluid lines that shape the figure. The marks around her head are like a halo, smudgy and unresolved. It reminds me that art's about seeing, but also about not quite seeing. Diebenkorn’s drawing reminds me a bit of Willem de Kooning’s approach to the figure. Both artists embrace ambiguity, letting the process of mark-making lead the way. Art isn't about answers; it's about the questions we ask.