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Richard Diebenkorn Essay

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Isolation and Longing for the Ocean
Interior with View of the Ocean by Richard Diebenkorn is an oil painting completed in 1957. Diebenkorn wanted to separate himself from the Abstract Expressionist style and the intense emotions brought out in their work. Diebenkorn’s change in painting style in the 1950’s is due to his influence of David Park and Henri Matisse. In his work during the Bay Area Figurative Movement, Diebenkorn wanted to make natural and everyday objects a part of fine art. Inspired by Park’s paintings of the everyday moments, Diebenkorn started to incorporate real objects and scenes in his abstract style. Diebenkorn admired the way Matisse flattened his paintings while still creating a special tension within them, which he also incorporated into his work in the 50’s (“Richard Diebenkorn”). Using space and color, Diebenkorn …show more content…

Without knowing what is dividing the room and the ocean, the viewer adds his or her own uncertainties and anxieties to the piece. Diebenkorn has forced the viewer to wonder what could be between the room and ocean and if whatever it is may be keeping the owner of the room from going outside to the ocean. Diebenkorn creates spatial tension by flattening the distance between the ocean and the room. Not knowing what lays between the two reinforces that there is a longing for the ocean that is so close, but also so far away. The unseen presence of this room’s owner or whomever occupies this space also adds to the tension of the painting. The room feels empty and alone even though the viewer knows the room has been occupied. The chair that is left untucked from the table suggests that the owner has just briefly stepped away or maybe that they are gone for good. Perhaps the owner has had enough of the isolation and lust for the ocean that he or she is venturing out towards the waves and life that exists outside of the

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