1957, Richard Diebenkorn, Untitled (tension pole) -- George Washington U. Art Gallery (Washington)
From the museum label:
Follow the tension pole traveling from the bottom left-hand corner to the top of the canvas. There your eyes meet the pole's wires that fade into the background towards the rolling hills. You can also see the clear sky, a stream cutting through the textured plot of land, and a blue and white building pushed into the corner. All of these elements hint that it could be a view out of artist Richard Diebenkorn's window. However, take your hand and cover up the top half of the painting. Do you still see these distinct objects, or does the painting become abstract?
Diebenkorn once said, "One of the most interesting polarities in art is between representation, at one end of the stick, and abstraction at the other end, and I've found myself all over that stick." Untitled (tension pole) shows Diebenkorn's evolution combining both abstract and representational elements during a transition in his artistic career. Diebenkorn started as an abstract painter, exploring lines, shapes, and blocks of colors. However, in 1955, he broke away and explored representational artwork. He would choose one object as the focus, in this case a utility pole for high tension wires, and then use his imagination to complete the rest. With the lower half of the canvas, an almost abstract piece of blocks of colors and thick brushstrokes, Untitled (tension pole) is a case in point.
1957, Richard Diebenkorn, Untitled (tension pole) -- George Washington U. Art Gallery (Washington)
From the museum label:
Follow the tension pole traveling from the bottom left-hand corner to the top of the canvas. There your eyes meet the pole's wires that fade into the background towards the rolling hills. You can also see the clear sky, a stream cutting through the textured plot of land, and a blue and white building pushed into the corner. All of these elements hint that it could be a view out of artist Richard Diebenkorn's window. However, take your hand and cover up the top half of the painting. Do you still see these distinct objects, or does the painting become abstract?
Diebenkorn once said, "One of the most interesting polarities in art is between representation, at one end of the stick, and abstraction at the other end, and I've found myself all over that stick." Untitled (tension pole) shows Diebenkorn's evolution combining both abstract and representational elements during a transition in his artistic career. Diebenkorn started as an abstract painter, exploring lines, shapes, and blocks of colors. However, in 1955, he broke away and explored representational artwork. He would choose one object as the focus, in this case a utility pole for high tension wires, and then use his imagination to complete the rest. With the lower half of the canvas, an almost abstract piece of blocks of colors and thick brushstrokes, Untitled (tension pole) is a case in point.