Untitled [head of man with open mouth] 1955 - 1967

This sketch of a man with an open mouth was made by Richard Diebenkorn using graphite on paper. The marks are so immediate and raw, like he's trying to catch a fleeting feeling. Look at the dark shadows on the right side of the face, really scribbled in, next to the clean, almost delicate lines of the shirt collar. The tension between these two styles is so interesting. That open mouth – is it a shout, a yawn, or something else entirely? It's like Diebenkorn is inviting us to project our own emotions onto this face, making it a mirror for our own inner lives. It reminds me a bit of some of those early Matisse drawings, where a simple line can convey so much. Art's not about answers, it's about opening up questions, don't you think?