Untitled [two reclining women] 1967

Richard Diebenkorn sketched these two reclining women with ink on paper. The heavy outlines shape the figures, but I can also see how the negative space is just as important. I wonder about the artist, his state of mind, and the decisions he made while creating this artwork. Did he work quickly, capturing a fleeting moment, or did he labor over each line, carefully considering its placement and weight? I'm really drawn to the way the ink varies in darkness, giving the sketch a sense of depth and dimension. Notice the foot with the sandal—it’s so boldly rendered, a sort of visual punctuation. Diebenkorn’s like a jazz musician, riffing on form, line, and space, creating something both familiar and totally new. He’s in conversation with Matisse and Picasso, but doing his own thing. It reminds me that art is always a dialogue, a back-and-forth across time and between artists, where meaning shifts and changes with each new voice.