Untitled [portrait] 1955 - 1967

Here's a portrait made by Richard Diebenkorn, using what looks like dark ink on paper. It's all about the line, how it moves and suggests a form without filling it in. I can imagine Diebenkorn making this; the scratch of the pen, trying to capture a likeness, but also letting the line have its own way. See how the shading is almost scribbled? It reminds me of Giacometti, that searching, restless quality. It's like he's not just drawing what he sees, but also trying to understand it, to feel it. That single, bold stroke that defines the nose and brow - it's so confident. Yet the mouth is just a few tentative strokes. It is almost like a dance between control and letting go. All of us painters are in a conversation, you know, across time and space, inspiring each other, riffing off each other's ideas. It's this ongoing exchange that keeps art alive, keeps it interesting.