The art of Richard Diebenkorn

Sense of place has always been Diebenkorn's muse, and he has painted his surroundings, most notably and eloquently his home terrain in California, with fluid grace and invention. Free from the dictates of fashion, Diebenkorn moved easily between abstraction and representation over the course of his long and steady painter's life, always tapping into the energy of the scene before him, whether it was a sink on a wall, people talking, or the intersections of land and sky, grass and pavement, ocean and sand. He often listened to music while he painted, and there is a corresponding harmony and flow to his dancing, paint-rich brush strokes, his rich and glowing layers of push-and-pull color. Now, six years after his death, a major traveling exhibition of his work has opened at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and Livingston, the show's curator, and her distinguished contributors, provide illuminating commentary on Diebenkorn's life and work to accompany a truly beautiful set of color reproductions. --Donna Seaman

Inspired by the openness and light of the California landscape, the American painter Diebenkorn (1922-93) developed a unique modernist style, characterized by geometric forms, a bright palette, and thick brushwork. Once his career was established, he made a sudden shift to representational art. Still later, the figures disappeared, and he resumed the abstract mode marked by a series of paintings entitled "Ocean Park." This comprehensive catalog, which accompanies the first retrospective exhibition of Diebenkorn's works since his death, is intended to enhance understanding of his devotion to modernism and the influences upon his accomplishments. Livingston, who curated the exhibition, and two other notable art scholars (all acquaintances of the artist) provide lengthy essays complementing about 200 color plates. Recommended for all libraries that collect in American modern art.‘Joan Levin, MLS, Chicago (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.