“Albuquerque #4,” an artwork by Richard Diebenkorn created in 1951, is a captivating example of Abstract Expressionism. Measuring 128.3 by 116.5 centimeters, the oil on canvas is currently housed in the Saint Louis Art Museum located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It is part of the Albuquerque series Diebenkorn worked on between 1951 and 1952, which marked a significant phase in his artistic journey as he explored the realms of abstraction.
The artwork displays a complex array of forms and colors, juxtaposing patches of muted and vibrant hues to create an intricate composition. There are expansive fields of color, such as lavender, yellow, and green, intersected by bold lines and accented with smaller, more intense dots and shapes that emerge against the softer background. One can detect a sense of layering and movement within the piece, as though the colors are in conversation or dance with one another. The variety of textures and brushwork lends the piece a tactile quality that encourages the viewer’s eye to roam across its surface. It is through these abstract forms and the interaction of color and space that Diebenkorn invites contemplation and emotional response, hallmarks of the Abstract Expressionist movement to which he contributed.
