In 1993, Richard Diebenkorn passed away at the age of 71. His wife, Phyllis Diebenkorn, survived him by 22 years and passed away at the age of 93 in January 2015 in San Francisco.
During these two decades, Phyllis spent all her time organizing everything related to Richard Diebenkorn. When I was writing this article, I looked at the website of the Diebenkorn Foundation (https://diebenkorn.org/) and was amazed at how meticulously an artist’s entire life, work, and creations have been organized. I slowly began to learn about Richard Diebenkorn and his wife’s story.
In 1940, Diebenkorn entered Stanford University to study art. Two years later, he met Phyllis, who was a year ahead of him and studying engineering and computing. They got married the following year.
Richard and Phyllis at their wedding, 1943
After the United States entered World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Diebenkorn left school in early 1944 to undergo military training, and Phyllis became a "camp follower," living with him near various bases. Diebenkorn never saw combat, and during this time, they enjoyed their honeymoon period and had the opportunity to visit different art galleries throughout the country. In September 1945, Japan surrendered, and World War II ended, and they returned to normal life.
During the years after their marriage, they had two children and moved around frequently. Diebenkorn continued to study art and teach at various schools, while Phyllis followed him and pursued her own path, studying psychology at the University of New Mexico and earning a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley.
Undeniably, their moves after marriage mainly followed Diebenkorn’s artistic pursuits, and they did not have much money. However, Phyllis continued to search for her own path and became one of the few female psychologists of her time.
In 1966, they moved again to Santa Monica, where Diebenkorn had established his reputation and was preparing to become a full-time artist. Phyllis decided to leave her psychology job and work full-time at home, helping Diebenkorn organize his paintings and materials and keeping detailed records of all his creations and exhibits. She played an increasingly important role in the artist’s career.
After Phyllis passed away in 2015, Stanford University published an obituary titled "Psychologist and Muse."
The word "muse" may seem a bit vulgar in China, but in its original context, it refers to the goddesses of art who provide artists with continuous nourishment and inspiration. I think it is entirely appropriate to call Phyllis Diebenkorn Richard Diebenkorn’s artistic muse.
Phyllis’s shadow appears in many of Diebenkorn’s paintings.
Richard and Phyllis in Santa Monica, with the artwork Seated Figure with Hat, 1967, in the background.
In their retirement in Santa Monica for more than 21 years, they enjoyed their time and relaxed. They loved the coastal community, and the sunshine and sea gave Diebenkorn endless inspiration, culminating in his artistic peak.
They also had plenty of time and opportunities to vacation and visit various places, seemingly inseparable, visiting art museums and exhibitions together and collaborating with many artists. During those years, they also traveled to many countries under the cultural project funding of the US government.
They seemed to have a particular fondness for the countryside of Provence, France, where they spent many happy times at the stone cottage of their friends, writer Bill Davenport and artist Roselle Davenport. From there, they could see Mount Sainte-Victoire, which is quite similar to the location of Cézanne’s painting.
They are in the small cottage of their friends Bill and Roselle Davenport in Provence, with Mont Sainte-Victoire behind them. The painting in the picture is a work by Cézanne, Mont Sainte-Victoire, 1887.
Perhaps influenced by the countryside life at the foot of Mount Sainte-Victoire, in 1988, they decided to move to a farm villa in rural Healdsburg, California, where they could see Mount St. Helena from afar.
Unfortunately, Diebenkorn soon suffered from heart disease, and after surgery, he was infected. After several years of illness, he passed away in 1993 due to lung failure.
Their home is in the rural area of Heidelberg, with the Saint Helena Mountain visible in the distance.
In 1992, the De Bono couple were at home, at which time Richard was already very weak.
After Diebenkorn’s death, Phyllis devoted all her energy to organizing his legacy, meticulously organizing over 5,000 of his paintings, countless photos, notes, letters, and all his life experiences.
She founded the Diebenkorn Foundation, helped him establish numerous retrospective exhibitions and activities, digitized all the content and published it online, and edited the four-volume Diebenkorn collection. Unfortunately, the collection was not published until a year after her death.
During this period, she donated a large number of works and materials to museums and schools where Diebenkorn had worked before, allowing more people to gain a deeper understanding of this artist.
So today, we can see the wonderful "Ocean Park," their experiences and life together, and Phyllis’s work, which are all inseparable.
It was Mr. Diebenkorn’s, and also Mrs. Diebenkorn’s Ocean Park.
In 1988, the Diebenkorn family
Reference:
- Diebenkorn Foundation website (https://diebenkorn.org/)
- PHYLLIS DIEBENKORN OBITUARY (https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sfgate/name/phyllis-diebenkorn-obituary?pid=173949875)
- Stanford Magazine: Psychologist and Muse (https://stanfordmag.org/contents/psychologist-and-muse)
- Phyllis Diebenkorn, famed artist’s widow and psychologist, dies (https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Phyllis-Diebenkorn-famed-artist-s-widow-and-6046557.php)