Cantor brings a Stanford family member home in its current exhibit, “Richard Diebenkorn, Artist and Carey Stanton, Collector: Their Stanford Connection.” The collection boasts an assortment of small paintings, prints, watercolors and drawings by the late Richard Diebenkorn ‘44.

After graduating, Diebenkorn returned to Stanford as an artist-in-residence during the ‘60s. He was one of the best-known abstract expressionists in the United States and worked throughout the country, though primarily on the West Coast in the later part of his career. Born in Portland, but a San Francisco native, Diebenkorn’s style evolved over the more then 50 years in which he was working. His work grew from a Henri Matisse influence to a decidedly geometric style that he began using in the 1960s.

Diebenkorn’s friend and fellow Stanford alumnus Carey Stanton ‘44, M.D. ‘47 collected the paintings that are being shown at Cantor. The pieces focus on Santa Cruz Island, which until the 1980s was owned privately, a large portion by the Stanton family. The collection features 45 pieces of Diebenkorn’s work, spanning from the 1950s to the late 1980s, and show the evolution of his style during this period. The works highlight the colors of the scene while leaving the viewer with a vague impression of the reality of the subject; it gives a sense of watching an unreal space while drawing you into the vivid colors and details.

At first glance, Diebenkorn’s style is reminiscent of watercolor; though his medium is oil on canvas. One of the most prominent works, “View of the Ocean, Santa Cruz Island,” is on display at the entrance to the exhibit. It combines a slew of cool colors into a geometric pattern, with smaller, warmer geometric sections for contrast. Although this work is geometric, it is not at all as stiff as the work of Piet Mondrian. The majority of Diebenkorn’s paintings are generally soft, and some pieces have no geometric focus at all.

The paintings of the Diebenkorn exhibit range from simple objects to small landscapes, some more detailed then others. There are a few portraits, and many of his paintings contain human figures. Observers will find that the majority of his paintings are overloaded with either warm or cool colors, with just a little of the opposite painted in. However, none of Diebenkorn’s colors are particularly bright or immediately catchy. The collection contains a few black and white sketches in both pencil and dark ink.

In addition to Stanton’s collection, “Richard Diebenkorn: Abstractions on Paper,” an array of Diebenkorn’s other prints and paper, is on display. The works come from several private collections, including pieces from Cantor, and feature Diebenkorn’s work from the 1970s and 1980s. The soft texture of each piece provides just enough abstraction for fans of abstract art. However, world objects emerge to the viewer in nearly all of his paintings, making his work accessible to anyone.

— Heather Buckelew contributed to this report