Untitled [standing female nude] 1955 - 1967

Editor: Here we have Richard Diebenkorn's "Untitled [standing female nude]," created between 1955 and 1967, using pencil on paper. There's something very direct and unadorned about the lines in this drawing. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The immediate draw is in its deceptive simplicity. Note the economy of line. Diebenkorn captures the essence of the figure, but not through traditional rendering. What kind of space do the lines create? Do they feel complete or fragmented? Editor: Fragmented, I think. The face is blank, and some lines are sketchier than others. It's not hyperrealistic, for sure. Curator: Precisely. It emphasizes line, shape, and the negative space surrounding the figure. Consider the subtle shifts in pressure and weight of the pencil strokes, and their direction, and their length, which imbue the figure with a sense of weight and volume, challenging a conventional portrait. It's an act of deconstruction. He focuses our attention not on personality, but form. Does that approach seem to affect the aesthetic of the piece? Editor: Definitely. It almost feels more like an architectural study than a portrait, and I hadn't considered how much information comes from what isn't drawn. Curator: Just so. Through these omissions, the piece acquires meaning as line alone delineates form and the blank page suggests depth. Diebenkorn reduces the figure to its essential planes, pushing toward abstraction without sacrificing recognition. Editor: I now appreciate the subtle complexities beneath the minimalist facade. Curator: Yes, it demonstrates the powerful effects of a concentrated application of artistic intention, which prompts me to see the potential residing in reduction and raw material itself.