30 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} who is known for his affiliation with the California Funk Movement of the 1970s. As dog lovers, Sue and John appreciate that canines are the subject matter of several of his colorful, almost psychedelic mixed-media works. They enjoy sharing how de Forest visited their home, saw a sculpture of his entitled Dog Bench and promptly decided it needed to be reworked. “He literally showed up one day, took the old one and made a new one,” John says with a laugh. It’s obvious that this quirky interaction only adds more value to the piece for the Diekmans. English sculptor David Nash also holds special interest for the couple. “We met him when he had a residency at the Djerassi Resident Art Program,” explains John. The Diekmans own several of his early-work wood sculptures, all carved with a chainsaw and intended to be rough surfaced. John expresses amazement at the amount of control the artist has in carving out the various types of wood, including oak, madrone and walnut. Now friends with Nash, they also proudly display a collection of pastel Christmas cards sent from the artist over the years. Every once in a while, a special work requires special accommodations. One of their largest pieces, a painting titled Above Fifth Avenue by Ben Aronson, which reminds them of enjoyable visits to New York City, required more space. So the couple remodeled a hallway, making it wider and higher for optimal viewing of the seven-foot-tall painting. As the collection has continued to grow, the overflow of art has advanced outdoors. Large-scale works by Bruce Beasley, George Rickey, Gene Flores and Jesus Moroles grace the yard. Whenever possible, John and Sue allow the artists input as to where their work will be placed. Sue points out a lovely bronze sculpture of a woman by former Stanford professor Nathan Oliveira, which stands outside the front door—a Christmas gift from
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