Untitled [reclining female nude with arms behind head] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this ink drawing of a reclining female nude, and I imagine it came into being through a process of shifting and emerging with each mark. The drawing is all about these beautiful black marks, some thick, some thin, that define the figure's shape and create a sense of volume. There's a real push and pull between the dark ink and the white paper, which gives the image a kind of energy. It's like Diebenkorn was thinking about how to make a body out of pure tone. I think he’s really looking and trying to get it down fast. And you see the bed she's lying on? It's just a few simple lines, but they totally work to suggest space and depth. It reminds me of some of Matisse's drawings, the way he could say so much with so little. Artists are always looking at each other, picking up on things, and pushing the conversation forward. With painting, there are no fixed meanings, only ways of seeing and feeling.