Richard Diebenkorn is most widely known for his signature large-scale, vivid abstractions known as the Ocean Park paintings.
His abstract, as well as his earlier figurative work, explores the balance between surface modulation and illusionistic depth, between the establishment of structure and its disintegration in light and space. Diebenkorn became known as one of the founders of the Bay Area figurative school. He always resisted the notion of a ‘school’ in any formal sense, noting that the artists involved simply enjoyed a close association, but he led the way in developing a unique northern Californian realism.