Untitled [female nude turning away] 1955 - 1967

This untitled drawing of a female nude was made by Richard Diebenkorn, using what looks like thick, viscous ink. The drawing feels immediate, like it was built up with large, gestural marks and a process of intuitive correction. I can imagine Diebenkorn here, totally focused on the model, probably making small adjustments, responding to the pose, the light, the feeling of the moment. He's known for his Ocean Park paintings, but there are so many drawings in his practice too, and this one feels so connected to his wider practice. The weight of the ink, the tonal range of light and dark, the way the figure almost emerges out of the paper, feels connected to the work of other artists like Willem de Kooning, who was always working between abstraction and figuration. This piece is just a reminder of the ongoing conversation among artists across time, inspiring each other, and wrestling with similar problems. It feels like a kind of embodied expression, open to multiple readings, with uncertainty built right in.