Untitled [squatting female nude turning away] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this drawing with ink on paper, and what strikes me is how immediate and raw it feels. It’s like we’re catching a glimpse of his thought process, the movement of his hand as he captures this figure. I can almost feel him circling around this squatting female nude, trying to get the weight and volume just right. He's figuring things out as he goes, correcting his lines with an intuitive sense of what feels right. See how some lines are thick and bold, like a confident declaration, while others are thin and tentative, feeling their way through the form. It’s as if each stroke carries its own emotional charge, building up a sense of presence and vulnerability. Diebenkorn's work always spoke to me because he was in conversation with other artists, like Matisse. And that’s what being an artist is all about, isn’t it? A constant exchange of ideas, responding to what came before while pushing into new territory.