The Master of Light and Form

Richard Diebenkorn (1922-1993) is regarded as one of the greatest American artists of the twentieth century. His oeuvre, spanning from Abstract Expressionism to figurative painting, is marked by a continuous search for balance, space, and colour. Diebenkorn’s work, particularly his famous Ocean Park Series, reflects a profound exploration of light and space, and his unique approach has had a lasting impact on modern art.

Source: The Collector

Early Years: The Influence of California and Education

Richard Diebenkorn was born in Portland, Oregon, and raised in California, a state that would continue to influence his work and life. From a young age, he was drawn to drawing and painting. His early artistic talent was encouraged by his mother, who took him to museums and urged him to develop his own vision.

While studying at Stanford University, Diebenkorn was exposed to European modernists such as Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Paul Cézanne. This influence proved to be profound: Matisse’s bright colours and Cézanne’s structured compositions formed the foundation of his own search for balance and expression. His time at Stanford was characterised by intensive study and experimentation, and Diebenkorn began to see himself as a serious artist.

Abstract Expressionism: The First Experiments

In the early 1950s, Diebenkorn moved to New York, where he joined the dominant art movement of the time: Abstract Expressionism. He met influential figures such as Willem de Kooning and Robert Motherwell and was inspired by their energy and intensity. In works like Albuquerque and Berkeley, Diebenkorn demonstrates how he made the abstract language of Expressionism his own, but always with a characteristic subtlety and restraint. However, Diebenkorn’s approach to Abstract Expressionism differed from that of his contemporaries. Unlike the dynamic and sometimes wild brushstrokes of many of his peers, Diebenkorn approached composition with a sense of calm and balance. He described his process as a “dialogue” with the canvas, allowing himself to be guided by the interaction between colour and form. His brushstrokes were layered and considered, and his works from this period reveal a quest for harmony within the chaos of abstraction.

The Return to Figuration: The Importance of the Human Aspect

In the mid-1950s, Diebenkorn returned to figurative painting. He became fascinated by the challenge of depicting human figures and recognisable objects while retaining the abstract elements he had developed in his earlier work. This shift to figuration was not a step backwards but an enrichment of his palette. He began to paint landscapes, still lifes, and interiors, always with an abstract sensibility for form and composition.

In works such as Girl with Plant and Seated Woman, we see how Diebenkorn surrounds human forms with colour fields and structures that reflect his abstract background. His technique remained intensive and thoughtful; he used lines and planes to create a sense of space and depth, and his colour choices were subtle and harmonious. The human figures in his works often appear still and introspective, as if caught in a moment of self-reflection. Diebenkorn drew inspiration from the atmosphere and colours of California, whose light and expansive landscapes offered him a new perspective on space and form.

The Ocean Park Series: A Masterpiece of Abstraction and Light

In the late 1960s, Diebenkorn moved to Santa Monica, California, where he began his famous Ocean Park Series. This series, which spans more than twenty years and comprises over one hundred works, represents the pinnacle of his artistic career. Ocean Park is a visual exploration of colour, space, and light and is often regarded as Diebenkorn’s most important contribution to modern art.

The Ocean Park Series features abstract, geometric shapes that sometimes resemble aerial views of cities or coastal landscapes. The compositions are carefully balanced, with soft-coloured fields that seem to float alongside one another. Diebenkorn often used tape to create sharp lines, but he also left room for spontaneous brushstrokes, creating a dynamic contrast between rigid and loose elements. The colours in these works – soft blue, green, ochre, and warm white – reflect the Californian light and the proximity of the ocean.

A famous anecdote recounts how Diebenkorn spent hours in his studio, observing how the light changed throughout the day. He believed that the light influenced the composition and colour of his work, and his paintings from the Ocean Park Series are imbued with a sense of place and time. His attention to the effect of light on colour and space made this series a unique experiment in abstraction.

Technique and Process: The Art of Refinement and Reduction

Diebenkorn’s technique was labour-intensive and meticulous. He often began his works with a rough sketch, then applied layers of paint, which he would scrape away, paint over, or partially remove. This process of building up and reducing gave his paintings a sense of depth and complexity. His method was a kind of dialogue with the canvas, in which every line and colour shift could suggest a new direction.

Another anecdote recounts how Diebenkorn often spent weeks on a single painting, continually adjusting and refining it until the work felt complete. He described this process as “listening to the painting” – as though the canvas itself dictated when it was finished. His dedication to perfecting his compositions down to the smallest detail demonstrated his pursuit of a harmonious whole.

Diebenkorn’s Use of Colour and Line: Influences from Matisse and European Modernists

One of Diebenkorn’s major influences was Henri Matisse, whose use of colour and light inspired him to explore new possibilities in abstraction. Diebenkorn was deeply impressed by how Matisse regarded colour not as secondary but as central to the composition. In his own work, Diebenkorn experimented with fields of colour and sharp lines to create a similar visual experience.

The Art of Richard Diebenkorn and Richard Diebenkorn: A Retrospective explore these influences further. Diebenkorn was inspired by Matisse’s bright, contrasting colours and the way he organised space within the painting. Like Matisse, Diebenkorn saw colour as a powerful element that draws the viewer into the work, inviting them to lose themselves in the nuances of the composition.

Personal Life and the Influence of the West Coast

Despite his success, Diebenkorn remained a modest and thoughtful person. He deliberately chose to settle on the West Coast of the United States, away from the New York art world. The light and landscapes of California played a crucial role in his work, and he believed that the serenity of the West Coast gave him the space to experiment and focus entirely on his art.

One popular anecdote is how Diebenkorn would go out daily with his sketchbook to study the Californian landscapes. He found beauty in the simplicity of these landscapes, and this simplicity was reflected in his work. He was uninterested in the hustle and bustle of the city and instead drew inspiration from the quiet, open spaces California offered.

Legacy and Influence on Modern Art

Richard Diebenkorn’s work continues to inspire artists around the world. His search for balance, light, and space has had a lasting influence on modern art. Diebenkorn viewed abstraction not as a retreat from reality but as a means of capturing the essence of the world. His works invite the viewer to pause, observe, and lose themselves in the interplay of lines, shapes, and colours.

His works are admired and studied in museums and galleries worldwide, and his influence is evident in contemporary abstract art. His ability to combine abstraction with a deep sensitivity to place and light makes his oeuvre timeless and universal.

Sources

1. "Richard Diebenkorn: A Retrospective" by Sasha Nicholas and Steven Nash

2. "Richard Diebenkorn: The Catalogue Raisonné" edited by Jane Livingston and Andrea Liguori

3. "The Art of Richard Diebenkorn" by Jane Livingston, John Elderfield, and Ruth E. Fine

4. "Richard Diebenkorn: Revised and Expanded" by Gerald Nordland

5. "Richard Diebenkorn: The Ocean Park Series" by Sarah C. Bancroft

6. "Richard Diebenkorn: Beginnings, 1942–1955" by Scott A. Shields

7. "Richard Diebenkorn: The Berkeley Years, 1953–1966" by Timothy Anglin Burgard and Steven Nash

8. "Richard Diebenkorn: The Sketchbooks Revealed" edited by Enrique Chagoya, Steven Nash, Alexander Nemerov, and Peggy Phelan

9. "Richard Diebenkorn: Figurative Works on Paper" by Chronicle Books editorial team

10. "Richard Diebenkorn: Etchings and Drypoints 1949-1980" by Mark Stevens

11. "Richard Diebenkorn: Intaglio Prints, 1961-1978" edited by Phyllis Plous