Untitled [female nude seated and reading] [recto] 1959

Editor: We’re looking at Richard Diebenkorn’s "Untitled [female nude seated and reading] [recto]," a graphite drawing from 1959. It’s…sketchy, raw even, yet there’s this relaxed elegance about the figure. It’s quite intimate, like catching a glimpse of a private moment. What do you make of it? Curator: It does feel stolen, doesn’t it? Like we've just walked in on her. What strikes me is Diebenkorn's process; you can almost feel the artist circling his subject, searching. The lines aren’t definitive, but exploratory, revealing the thinking behind the making. Have you ever felt like that when you are drawing? Editor: Sometimes! Like I am mapping out not just the object, but the *idea* of it in my head. Do you think that’s what’s happening here? Curator: Precisely! Look at how the figure both occupies and blends with the space. It’s less about accurate representation and more about capturing the feeling of being, reading, existing in that moment. Also, isn’t it wonderful that it is so matter of fact, so relaxed? No grand statement – a very casual beauty. What does this tell you? Editor: That beauty can be found in the ordinary. And maybe that the act of creating is more important than perfect rendering? It's a bit like a visual diary entry. Curator: Absolutely. And isn’t that what makes it so compelling? It feels alive. I wonder if we are not simply looking at an image, but rather having a conversation with the artist, all across time. Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way – that a drawing can be a kind of conversation. I definitely see it differently now. Thanks!