“Ocean Park No. 49” is an abstract artwork created by Richard Diebenkorn in 1972. Crafted in oil and charcoal on canvas, it embodies the essence of Color Field Painting. The artwork spans a notable size of 236.2 by 206.1 cm and is currently housed within the esteemed collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in Los Angeles, California, United States.
The artwork presents a serene amalgamation of geometric precision and chromatic restraint. Dominated by expansive planes of muted blues and grays, it exudes a tranquil and contemplative quality. These large fields of color are intersected by subtle lines and shifts in tonality that suggest a complex spatial depth. In the upper segment, one observes a band of vibrant yellow that provides a stark contrast to the predominantly cool spectrum below, accompanied by small patches of additional colors that seem to peek from beneath the overlying layers.
Diebenkorn’s use of charcoal lines amidst the oil provides a textured interplay between the soft diffusions of color and the deliberate marking of boundaries. The painting’s layered construction alludes to a nuanced balance between planar composition and the painterly gesture, a hallmark of Diebenkorn’s work within the Ocean Park series. The subtle variations in hue and tactility invite the viewer to a meditative engagement, typical of the Color Field movement’s ethos, which emphasizes the emotive power of color and form over figurative representation.
