The Art of Richard Diebenkorn

About this book

Recognized as a major figure in postwar American painting Richard Diebenkorn (1922-1993) was an artist strongly identified with California but whose work is beloved throughout the United States and the rest of the world. This catalog is the most comprehensive volume on the artist now available. Jane Livingstons extensively researched biographical essay covers Diebenkorns entire career and concentrates on the artists inner life and purposes as revealed in his paintings. Ruth Fine deals primarily with the figurative aspect of Diebenkorns work (1955-67) and John Elderfield concentrates on the Ocean Park period (1967-93). All three authors provide valuable insights based on their personal relationships with the artist and his widow Phyllis. On both page and canvas the reader can sense Diebenkorns complexity and highly self-conscious working methods as well as his formidable integrity. The Art of Richard Diebenkorn will give readers with an interest in all phases of modernism new thoughts about the relationship between abstraction and representation. Stunningly illustrated with 192 full-color reproductions this book is an exhilarating testament to a distinctive American artist.