Albuquerque

Diebenkorn's work was the most abstract of the founding triad of the Bay Area Figurative painters. In 1950, Diebenkorn moved from California to Albuquerque to continue his studies at the University of New Mexico. Always responsive to location, his paintings of Albuquerque translate this dry, richly pigmented landscape into complex zones of tan and mauve. Expressive gestures keep the colors alive on the canvas, suggesting canyons and escarpments without fully reconciling into concrete forms. As if seen from overhead, "Albuquerque" offers an expressive dialogue between figuration and abstraction.