How Richard Diebenkorn Changed Our World View

Richard Diebenkorn taught us a lot about color and space. But what struck us most importantly is how he spelled out a path to abstraction in three easy steps.

First came the landscapes, a bit of influence from Matisse in the simplification of form and shifts in perspective. California themes prevail, and the colors are bold, creating a strong depth of space. Colors gradate some, but are applied in layers and textures that seem to simplify the detail into blocks and panels.

Then he took a step into abstraction, creating this painting with an expressive brush applied in rolling sweeps and complexity. The colors advance and recede in this beautifully complex work. Yet, it is still a landscape. He has taken us by surprise here, building our expectation with things that came before, and then boldly taking the natural representations almost completely away.

Stage 3, the Ocean Park series, is nearly completely abstract but the title gives us a clue. Ocean Park is a real place in California - where I grew up. But now the panels are broken down into a series of rectangles, and the colors begin to mute. The remarkable thing is it starts to look like daylight on a summer day. But would we have known the series is made up of landscapes if he had not titled them so, or set the precedent with his early work? Not sure.

But we can say, with utmost respect, that having experienced the amazing Ocean Park series in person, these monumentally large works blister with presence. Some people are not fans of his projects, and we understand, but these pieces speak volumes about space and light - and that's why we love them.

Capturing this level of story in the abstract has long been a goal in design of animation for broadcast and experiential installations. The desire to not be literal makes the viewer think by suggesting the feeling without spelling it out. And great designers know this and have a passion to communicate in this way. At MaxMedia we couldn't be more eager to show off these skills. So thanks Richard for the inspiration and guidance. You have carved out a place in history because of it.

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