Monday, February 16, 2009

Richard Diebenkorn Quote

Figure on a Porch, 1959. Oil on canvas, 57 x 62". Oakland Museum of California.
Woman with Hat and Gloves, 1963. Oil on canvas, 34 x 36". Pvt collection.
Girl Smoking, 1963. Oil on canvas, 33 x 25". Collection of Christine and Pierre Lamond.
Sleeping Woman, 1961. Oil on canvas, 70 x 58". Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Michigan.
July, 1957. Oil on canvas, 59 x 54". Pvt collection.

"When I'm half way there with a painting, it can occasionally be thrilling... But it happens very rarely; usually it's agony. I go to great pains to mask the agony. But the struggle is there. It's the invisible enemy." -Richard Diebenkorn.

8 comments:

Dave King said...

The figure on a porch is splendid. The quality seems uneven in the others, but it's an interesting collection. Worth following up. Thanks for sharing.

M said...

Love, love , love this painter. I much prefer his landscape work, so the first image is a great blend of both.

Brad Gailey said...

One of my favorite painters. A real inspiration to me: his mixture of figure and abstract. A shame that he spent such a short time painting figurative work. Keep up the good work.

Brad

Leslie Avon Miller said...

Indeed. I seem to create a "problem" and then fix it; then I might have a painting. I love his non-objective work.

artslice said...

Thanks so much for all your comments! I thought it would be fun to show more of his figures since he's so well known for his landscapes. I love quotes...and this one I can really relate to in my own work.

Katherine said...

Thank you for posting this quote. I love Diebenkorn and the myth is that a truly successful artist didn't struggle. He just knew what he was doing. I can really relate sometimes the creative process is almost too painful.

eLIZabeth Floyd said...

Great quote. Reading this has spurred a lot of thought about process and a discussion with one of my friends.

Paula Villanova said...

I have always loved his work, especially his use of color. I often wonder why we don't see his work exhibited more often. This is a fantastic quote..thanks for posting!