The Street Seen: R.D. Studio
2448 Main Street @ Hollister
In 1976, American artist Richard Diebenkorn (1922 - 1993) moves his studio from a rented space at Main & Ashland to his new studio at 2448 Main Street. A modest bronze plaque attached to the outside of the building reads: “R.D. Studio 1975 to 1988”1
In stereotypic academic squabbles, Diebenkorn resigns his UCLA teaching position in 1973, and devotes full time to his art. Diebenkorn is 51.
Diebenkorn buys the vacant 68’ x 50’ Main Street lot in 1974, and works with Santa Monica architect Carl Day to design a building to his specifications. The 3,900 SF 2-story building consists of a ground floor leased space, and Diebenkorn’s studio on the 2nd floor. The studio faces east -away from the ocean - Diebenkorn is more interested in light than water. There is a small 2nd floor patio at rear - no ocean view. Directly across Main Street, slightly limiting his view, is the Edgemar Eggs plant (extensively re-configured by Frank Gehry to Edgemar in 1988).
Diebenkorn makes a total 115 paintings from 1967 to 1985, all with the same title, Ocean Park. At his new studio, the series continues with No. 92 (1976) and the series ends with No. 140 (1985).2
The abstract paintings of this 20th-century master are so popular in the 1990s, they attracted snobbery - abstract art for people who don’t like abstract art - is a common jibe. Although geographically accurate - California is where he spent the majority of his working life - outside the mainstream New York art scene - the label “California artist” and its implied parochialism, dogs Diebenkorn throughout his career.
In 1986, Diebenkorn leaves Santa Monica (20 years in Santa Monica) - and searches in the West and Southwest for somewhere to live - finally settling on Healdsburg, Sonoma County in 1988. Diebenkorn is 66. He dies in Healdsburg in 1993.
Today the building is still owned by the Diebenkorn family. Recently CSA Architects occupies the building; then software startups Event Farm followed by Bitium. The current tenant, The Ridge, specializes in sleek designed accessories - probably best known for their wallets.
Diebenkorn signs his painting “R D (date)”
In May 2018, Ocean Park No. 126, sells at Christie's for $24 MM.
