Small Red 1980

Richard Diebenkorn made this print called 'Small Red' using soft ground etching, aquatint and drypoint. Just imagine him, bent over the plate, coaxing these muted rectangles into being. I love this palette of faded reds and blues. There's something so Californian about it; so reminiscent of the Pacific coast. I wonder if he was thinking about the landscape? It looks like the red ground was laid first and the other shapes carefully hover around it. Look at that little block of brighter red, like a window! The textures feel sandy somehow, as if they've been worn down by the ocean. The etched lines dividing the shapes are simple, almost childlike. It's not about perfection, but more about feeling. You can see the hand of the artist. Diebenkorn was part of a community of artists, each pushing the boundaries of abstraction while staying connected to the world around them. The decisions he made connect to the conversations painters have been having with each other for centuries. It is as if we all pick up one another's tools, sharing ideas through gesture and form.