Untitled [two seated figures, one leaning forward] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled drawing of two seated figures with ink and charcoal on paper. It feels really immediate, like he was working out a puzzle right in front of us. You can see the push and pull of the charcoal, the different directions of the marks as he searches for the form. Look at the figure on the left. The way Diebenkorn layers the charcoal to create a sense of depth and shadow around the shoulders. It’s almost like he’s sculpting with the charcoal. And then there’s the inky blackness behind the figures. Is it a wall, a void, or just a build-up of dark pigment? I love how Diebenkorn leaves these questions unanswered. This piece reminds me a bit of Willem de Kooning's drawings. Both artists share a similar approach to figuration, where the figure is constantly emerging and dissolving within the abstract marks. It’s like they’re both saying that art is more about the process of seeing and thinking than about capturing a fixed image.