Untitled [side view of a kneeling nude crossing her arms] [recto] 1955 - 1967

Editor: Here we have "Untitled [side view of a kneeling nude crossing her arms] [recto]" by Richard Diebenkorn, made between 1955 and 1967. It’s a pencil drawing, very simple lines. What strikes me most is the pose – there’s a vulnerability, but also a kind of defiant self-containment in the crossed arms. What do you see in it? Curator: Oh, absolutely! I'm drawn to how Diebenkorn captures that quiet, almost melancholy moment. You know, there's something incredibly intimate about a figure study, like we're catching a glimpse into a private reverie. What I find intriguing is the ambiguity, too. Are those arms a shield, or are they just…comfortable? It’s fascinating how much emotion can be conveyed with so few strokes. Editor: It does feel very private. It’s interesting that you use the word reverie; I feel it too! Given that Diebenkorn's known for abstract expressionism, this more figurative work feels unexpected, doesn't it? Curator: Yes and no! He was an artist who constantly circled back, grappling with both abstraction and figuration throughout his career. Think of his Ocean Park series, those landscapes always hinted at the human figure! Maybe, in this drawing, he was distilling the figure down to its most elemental form before re-assembling it into something completely new, something that looks a bit like the Pacific coastline viewed from above. What do you think? Is she just *almost* abstract? Editor: Almost! The suggestion is definitely there, particularly in the simplicity of the lines and form. I think that’s the bit that I’ll take away with me; a simple piece with all these hidden complexities that emerge with the abstract in mind! Curator: Me too. Every time I see Diebenkorn, I want to run home and fill pages with lines, looking for those little whispers of the world and self mixed up together!