Untitled [side view of a seated female nude] 1955 - 1967

Editor: We’re looking at an ink drawing, an “Untitled [side view of a seated female nude]” by Richard Diebenkorn, created sometime between 1955 and 1967. There’s a raw, almost unfinished quality to it. What strikes me most is the stark contrast and the speed of the lines. How would you interpret this work? Curator: It’s a dance, isn’t it? A dance between capturing the essence of the figure and the pure, unadulterated joy of mark-making. The Abstract Expressionists were obsessed with process, with the act of creation itself becoming the art. Diebenkorn’s line isn’t just describing a body; it's performing a feeling, a fleeting moment. Do you feel the urgency in those strokes? It’s like he’s trying to pin down a ghost. Editor: Absolutely, there's something very immediate about it. So it's less about perfect representation and more about… the artist’s encounter with the subject? Curator: Precisely! And within that encounter, there’s vulnerability. The model is exposed, yes, but so is Diebenkorn. He's laying bare his process, his struggle to capture the ephemeral. That slight awkwardness adds to its honesty. Don’t you think? Editor: I do, actually. I initially saw it as unfinished, but now I appreciate that it’s not about being polished. It’s the honesty that's so compelling. Curator: It’s like a visual poem, a haiku written in ink. And sometimes, it's in those seemingly incomplete moments that we find the most profound truths, isn't it? Editor: Definitely. I'll look at drawings with new eyes now.