Untitled (Albuquerque) 1952

Richard Diebenkorn made this painting, "Untitled (Albuquerque)," with oil on canvas, and when you look at it, you're seeing a record of choices made, revised, and sometimes painted over. That's painting for you. There’s a tension between representation and abstraction. The color palette is muted, dominated by earthy browns, reds, and creams, which makes it feel like a landscape, but it's also just paint, pushed around on a surface. I love the way the dark shape at the top sort of looms and balances the maroon rectangle at the bottom. Take a look at that upper band - you can see the ghost of earlier marks underneath. For me, that’s where the painting gets really exciting. It's not just about the image, it's about the process. Diebenkorn’s work reminds me of what Guston said - something about pure painting being ridiculous! I love the humor, doubt and questioning in this piece - it's a conversation about what painting can be.