Ocean Park #40 1971

Richard Diebenkorn made "Ocean Park #40" with oil paint, pushing and pulling the medium to create these soft-edged shapes and atmospheric hues. I can almost feel the artist figuring it out as he goes along, changing his mind, adding layers, and letting the painting breathe. The muted palette of blues, greens, and ochres feels so Californian—a hazy day by the beach perhaps? He's built up these translucent layers, allowing the history of the painting to peek through, which is something I do too. I bet Diebenkorn was thinking about how the physicality of paint could evoke a mood, a memory, or a sense of place. That stripe of green leaning against the turquoise plane is like a sigh, so subtle yet charged with feeling. It reminds me a bit of Matisse and his colour planes. Artists are always in conversation, borrowing and building upon one another's ideas, trying to figure out this thing called painting. Each piece is a moment in that ongoing dialogue, an invitation for us to join in and bring our own experiences to the mix.