Untitled [shirtless model on a stool] 1955 - 1967

Curator: Before us, we have an untitled drawing by Richard Diebenkorn, believed to have been created sometime between 1955 and 1967. It portrays a shirtless model seated on a stool. Editor: My initial impression is of a study in languor. The model's posture and the unfinished quality of the lines create a sense of casual intimacy. Curator: Indeed. Notice the economy of line. Diebenkorn captures the essence of the figure with a remarkable structural simplicity. The lines themselves have a character—hesitant, searching, confident in places—creating a palpable tension between observation and artistic interpretation. Editor: I am drawn to the seemingly simple choice of material—the humble graphite on paper. Yet, the raw nature of the medium is revealing. Consider the performative act of drawing—each mark becomes a record of labor and embodies a direct physical link to Diebenkorn. The stool, a mundane object becomes an equal partner within the frame, representative of furniture often available for models, speaking of art's often-invisible supporting structures. Curator: A fascinating point. The linearity invites exploration of the composition's abstract elements. Look how the angularity of the stool's form plays against the organic curves of the human body. It’s a dialogue between hard and soft, geometric and biomorphic, resolved with an underlying equilibrium. The face, almost featureless, seems to turn the figure inward. Editor: Perhaps this lack of definitive features moves the focus from individual representation toward archetypes within figurative drawing practices, inviting conversation about its construction of the nude, not in service of the idealized or beautiful, but rather a sketch that captures moments. In this piece, the means of production are so upfront and exposed that its social underpinnings rise to the surface, making us reconsider the making process, skill, access, the model-artist relationship—aspects that tend to be sidelined. Curator: It provides an excellent reminder to delve into the layered art making approach. Editor: Precisely, I am finding it truly insightful as I ponder upon it!