April 22, 2022 is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Richard Diebenkorn (1922–1993). In memory of the artist, Crown Point Press presents a special exhibition featuring four working proofs created in the Crown Point studio as Diebenkorn developed the image of his most celebrated print, Green. A few other working proofs were saved and are in the Crown Point Press archives at the National Gallery of Art and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Green was published in 1986 by Crown Point Press and is considered part of Diebenkorn’s Ocean Park series.  

Born in Portland, Oregon, Richard Diebenkorn grew up in San Francisco and attended Stanford University and the San Francisco Art Institute (then the California School of Fine Arts). In 1966, he moved to Santa Monica where he began his Ocean Park paintings, dating from 1966 to 1988. Diebenkorn made his first prints at Crown Point Press in 1962, the year Kathan Brown founded the Press, and he frequently worked in its studio from 1977 until his death in 1993.   

Printmaking, unlike painting, can preserve through the proofing process the early stages of the art’s creation. In the Crown Point studio, Diebenkorn developed his print images mainly through collage. He would cut up earlier proofs and paste or pin fragments onto the latest version. This helped him make decisions on how to move forward with an image.    

Of the group of four working proofs in the current exhibition, the earliest is a drypoint proof taken from the first plate. It is followed by a proof of the green aquatint plate, and two others that are sequential and resemble the edition prints, but with a few crucial differences. Both sequential proofs have elements of collage. One of them is the last proof made before Diebenkorn completed Green. It is the only working proof signed and dated by him. The exhibition reveals Diebenkorn’s exploration of line, form, color, and technique. The proofs provide an intimate look at the artist’s process of developing an image, drawing the viewer into a visual history of the print’s creation.   

Crown Point Press is among a group of participating institutions celebrating Richard Diebenkorn’s centennial. They include, at the time of this writing, the Anderson Collection at Stanford University; the Cantor Arts Center, Stanford; the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento; the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; the Oakland Museum of California; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the San José Museum of Art; and the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. Visit www.diebenkorn.org to learn about other centennial events.    

Green is on view March 17 – July 29. The gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9-5. If you would like to visit on a Saturday, please call in advance to schedule an appointment.