Untitled [chin-to-knee view of nude with her right raised to shoulder] 1955 - 1967

Editor: Here we have Richard Diebenkorn’s "Untitled [chin-to-knee view of nude with her right raised to shoulder]," created sometime between 1955 and 1967 using pencil. I’m immediately struck by how the simplicity of the lines gives it a very vulnerable feel. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's interesting you say that. This drawing is, on the surface, just a nude figure, but I see Diebenkorn engaging with a longer history of representing the female body, and particularly its objectification within the art world. The vulnerability you perceive, I wonder if it isn't in part due to his stylistic choices: the incomplete, almost hesitant lines refusing to solidify the body into a polished ideal. Do you think that's fair? Editor: I think that makes a lot of sense. It definitely challenges the typical, almost idealized, representation you see so often. So, you are suggesting the piece almost argues against objectification? Curator: Exactly. This piece seems to exist in dialogue with feminist theory by stripping away the aestheticization often present in nudes. He isn't just representing a body; he's alluding to the complex cultural context surrounding its representation, making us question the act of looking. Editor: It almost makes the viewer more self-aware, which feels quite intentional now that you mention it. It goes beyond just a pretty picture and brings historical issues into perspective. Curator: Precisely. And by avoiding the conventional, perhaps he prompts a more nuanced, ethical engagement with the subject. We are no longer passive consumers but active participants in a critical dialogue. Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered before! It really changes how I see not just this drawing but the entire genre. Thanks! Curator: It is the role of art to ask these questions. I, in turn, thank you.