Ocean Park

paintings by Richard Diebenkorn

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June 17, 2026

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The Ocean Park series by Richard Diebenkorn is a collection of large, abstract paintings created between 1966 and 1988. Diebenkorn, an American Modernist painter, was inspired by the seascape near his home in Berkeley, California, which is where the series gets its name.12

These works represent a return to abstraction for Diebenkorn, moving away from the figurative paintings he had been creating. He sought to explore the passage of time, space, and light through shifting hues, bold lines, and geometric shapes. The paintings are characterized by an "all-over light" and a formal geometry, often recalling the style of Piet Mondrian, but balanced by an atmospheric quality and visible brushwork. The series exemplifies Diebenkorn's ability to convey a sense of light and air, reminiscent of artists like Turner and Whistler.21

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Richard Diebenkorn
…art and began his famed Ocean Park series. Inspired by the seascape near his Berkeley home, the series best exemplifies Diebenkorn’s ability to represent the passage of time, space, and light through shifting hues, bold lines, and opaque geometrical shapes.
Read More
…art and began his famed Ocean Park series. Inspired by the seascape near his Berkeley home, the series best exemplifies Diebenkorn’s ability to represent the passage of time, space, and light through shifting hues, bold lines, and opaque geometrical shapes.
Read More