Post 3: 20th Century Artist

One of Georgia O’Keeffe’s well-known quotes, “the men liked to put me down as the best woman painter… I think I am one of the best painters” fully depicts her attitude as an artist. Born in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, O’Keeffe was “a woman with no wealth, no connections…she was a no-nonsense, straightforward Midwesterner who did as she pleased and didn’t fit anyone’s mold” (Guerrilla Girls 74). She was known as the “foremother” of the feminist art movement and worked in a time period that was dominated by male artists and gallery owners who were extremely critical towards women (Center for Feminist Art). Although such obstacles surrounded her, O’Keeffe was determined to pursue a successful career in art. She developed a characteristic painting style early on, that included “organic vulvar forms and floral imagery”(Center for Feminist Art). These forms of art were also influenced by her time spent in New York, and New Mexico. She reflected her observations in her artwork because she found it to be most significant to portray. During her time of prominence, there was an emphasis on realism, which was a method that represented people and objects as their true appearance; although O’Keeffe sought out to illustrate her work in a more multi-faceted form. 

Georgia O'Keeffe 1887-1986

This piece of art is a symbol of patriotism towards America. It prominently portrays the three colors of the American flag, and was also painted during the time period when Americans were working towards creating a unique American style. Although, O’Keeffe chose to use a cows skull to depict America, as opposed to using landscape scenery as other artists were using, because O’Keeffe believed that theirs was an inaccurate depiction. This reflected her attitude as deviating from mainstream artwork, and defying realism. To the viewer, it can be perceived that she uses an ironic symbol to represent the “Great American Painting”(Messinger). Although to O’Keeffe, “the jagged edges, worn surfaces, and pale color the essence of the desert…are as beautiful as anything” (MET). She explained, “To me, they are strangely more living than the animals walking around. The bones seem to cut sharply to the center or something that is keenly alive on the desert even tho’ it is vast and empty and untouchable-and knows no kindness with all its beauty” (MET). Although this piece is a satirical work of art, it can be appreciated on several different levels of nationalism, and religion.

 Cow's Skull: Red, White, and Blue 1926

In this painting O’Keeffe is using a specific set of colors to illustrate a magnified flower. She captures the springtime bloom of a flower by using colors such as “black-purple and deep maroon to soft pinks, grays, and whites” (MET). O’Keeffe forces the viewer to observe the process of a flower blooming and thus enlarges the petals. She does not want her audience to overlook what she feels is extraordinary. It should be noted, “critics saw sexual content in their delicate contours, organic forms, and lush surfaces, even though the artist always denied such associations” (Messinger). Overall the exaggeration of the blooming process is shown by the vivid lines used in the painting as well as the overall shading. The colors used intricately show the different parts of the flower petals and can be perceived to be an abstract version of an actual blooming flower. 

Black Iris 1931

 O'Keeffe's painting of The Barn is comprised of stark colors and shapes to show its many dimensions (JSTOR). There is a narrow and rectangular form that is used to depict the roof and the front walls of the barn. The space of the painting has three distinct sections, which portray the sky, the barn itself, and the ground. (Gale). The perspective of this painting gives a frontal view,  although there are three-dimensional aspects to the painting. These aspects are highlighted through the color, as well as the large size of the barn.  According to O'Keeffe, "their austerity and commanding presence create an iconic quality," this giving the barn a significant presence (MET). This is also one of O'Keeffe's signature architectural pieces that uses distinct geometric shapes (Gale). It should also be noted that there are no major details or patterns in this work, there are solely rectangular shapes that depict the doors and the roof. It is also not a depiction of a conventional barn.  This painting was an inspired by her childhood in Wisconsin and therefore was an influenced by her immediate surroundings. 

White Canadian Barn 1932

O’Keeffe experiments with the concept of “near and far” in this piece. She combines skeletal imagery and landscape scenery as well. She gives the illusion of how the focus of the painting in reality is far away, behind the mountains and the desert. The animal’s head is magnified and is larger, relative to the size of the landscape. In addition, the “enormous animal skull rests tentatively on the narrow strip of land at the bottom, emphasizing the strong similarities between the color and shape of the enormous antlers and the hilltop peaks”(MET). Additionally, there is no conventionalism in the scene, “even the animal skull with its extravagant number of antlers is an imaginative invention”(MET). There is a strong similarity between the colors and the shapes in this piece of art. The colors also represent a sense of serenity in the mood. The perspective emphasizes three-dimensional form. Lastly, as O'Keeffe wrote, “the far away was a beautiful, untouched lonely-feeling place"(MET). 

From the Faraway, Nearby 1938

Overall, from early in her career O'Keeffe developed a "personal, extremely refined style, [which included] abstract subject matter such as flower details and austere architectural themes. Many of her paintings were dramatic, sharp-focus enlargements of botanical details" (Gale). In 1929 O'Keeffe began spending time in New Mexico; observing the region's "ancient Spanish architecture, vegetation, and terrain" (Gale). Thus these aspects of the city were consistently portrayed in her artwork. Her inspirations from her time spent in New Mexico are discussed in detail in this video.Her primary subjects were landscapes, flowers, and bones, explored in series over several years and even decades. The images were drawn from her life experience and related either generally or specifically to places where she lived (Messinger). O'Keeffe's work had a significant impact of new artists, due to her abstract work. She questioned realism and offered her own prominent style to portray the social issues of her time. She was not a conventional artist and thus an inspiration for several modern artists, whose work can be left up to interpretation on many levels. 

Works Cited:

"Center for Feminist Art: Georgia O'Keeffe." Brooklyn Museum.org. Web. 19 Nov. 2012.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin-Georgia O'Keeffe, New Series, Vol. 42, No. 2 (Autumn, 1984), pp. 3-64

Messinger, Lisa. "Georgia O'Keeffe (1887–1986)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000. Web. 19 Nov. 2012.

"Womens History Georgia O'Keeffe." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 1998. Gale Cenage Learning. Web. 19 Nov. 2012.

The Guerrilla Girls' Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art. New York: Penguin, 1998. Print.