Richard Diebenkorn

Retrospective at the Royal Academy of the work of Richard Diebenkorn, the American artist.

Oh dear I do run to type. I wasn’t too sure about the early and late abstracts but I quite liked the mid period figurative pieces. I did however find all the work had an amazing sense of colour. I might have got more understanding of the work if I knew the places he’d lived and worked better as from the commentary I got a sense of responding to them.

In the figurative section I liked some figure drawings with patterned backgrounds which reminded me a bit of the Matisse Odalisques. There was also a Bloomsbury like picture of an ashtray and doors and a striking landscape of a road dividing rural and suburban spaces.

I found the finish on some of the abstracts quite rough, I guess others might call it painterly!

Review
Guardian
Telegraph
Evening Standard

 

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