Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1985)
American Modernism (Abstraction)
O’Keeffe initially painted and drew representational artworks. However, it did not satisfy her
and therefore started making abstract drawings from memory. From this, she developed and
eventually became associated with American Modernism.
What is American Modernism?
 Modernism was not a cohesive movement but rather a combination of other movements (mainly
those that end with “ism”) such as post- impressionism, fauvism, cubism, Dadaism, and futurism as
well as other movements. They rejected common conventions of representational art. Some artists
responded to modernization celebrating industrialization or the “machine age”. Others were much like
Dadaists or explored intellectual aspects of art. However, some artists such as, Georgia O’Keeffe
pushed the boundaries of American artistic style through abstraction of natural landscapes.
Historical Context
America went through a major change in the first 20th century. Scientific discoveries had changed
everyone’s lifestyle. This country underwent the Great Depression, two wars and the beginning of
urbanization. American artists were bound to reflect these changes.
The 1913 New York Armory Show convinced American artists to change their direction away from the
European art scene. Eventually, abstraction became an important part of in American art. However, it was
not fully accepted by the American public.
Georgia O’Keeffe was a pioneer of Abstraction in America and was one of the artists who chose not to
go to Europe to learn about her abstraction.
Influences
Unlike other well-known abstract artist, O’Keeffe’s training and influences were
completely American.
 She was strongly influenced by Arthur Wesley Dow, an American painter who was
her teacher
He painted artworks of landscape which initiated the use of nature as her subject matter
Advocated simplified forms can be used to capture the essence and develop a
personal style which was also aesthetic.
 Following her time with Dow, O’Keeffe destroyed her previous artworks in order to
start fresh and make spontaneous artwork in order to illustrate her abstract thoughts.
 In 1918, moved to New York, with the persistence of a well-known photographer and
art dealer, Stieglitz (whom she married in 1924).He had a look at her artworks set up
an art show for her without her consent (though she was eventually convinced.
Through him she was able to be part of the Stieglitz-a group of abstract
experimenters- and also share the same artistic interests with Arthur Dove.
 After her husband’s death, Georgia settled in New Mexico. The dry, barren lands
appealed to her greatly.
Characteristics
• Close up crops
• Subjects mainly included, sculptural desert landscapes, bones, and enlarged flower forms
• Convey subjective impressions (even though she depicted it in a straightforward manner)
• Subtle shades of gray or black, and graded hues
• Aesthetic abstract work
• Initially begun her abstract work with charcoal drawings & later transitioned to watercolours
O’Keeffe, Alligators Pears in a Basket, 1923 (Charcoal Drawing)
 Charcoal drawing
 Organic images derived from nature
 The deliberate ambiguity of the composition makes us want to look very carefully
at the image.
 Close look reveals subtle shadings of greys and blacks
 The two thick lines ringing the fruit give us two different views of the pears
O’Keeffe, Black Iris, 1926 (Oil on Canvas)
 One of O’Keeffe’s masterpiece
 Colours are subtly graded: black-purple, deep maroon to soft pinks
 captures the ephemeral quality of this springtime bloom
 enlarged petals to over-life-sized proportions
 forces the viewer to confront what might otherwise be overlooked
 Critics had noticed sexual references through delicate contours,
organic forms and lush surface. O’Keeffe always denied these assumptions
O’Keeffe, Deer's Skull with Pedernal, 1936 (Oil on Canvas)
 O’Keeffe incorporated dramatic, even surreal-looking objects and landscapes
when she lived in New Mexico.
She placed them together in unexpected ways, created compositions that
are utterly realistic while being surreal, mysterious, or abstract as well
 This painting was made near her home. It included the flat-topped mountain, the
Pedernal. Georgia felt a spiritual connection to this and therefore painted it many
times. At a time close to her death she joked, “It’s my private mountain. It
belongs to me. God told me if I painted it enough, I could have it.”
 The Pedernal and the deer’s skull are recurring subject matters in her later artworks (the deer skull’s
was collected during her long walks in the desert).
 Initially appears to be completely representational, however there are underlying surrealist
implications:
 the skull hangs on a tree, but the artist painted the blue sky showing through the holes
 the tree branches mimic the deer’s antlers. The base branch curves with the shape of the Perdenal
 the placement of the tree in the foreground, eliminates the space between the background and
itself-provides a sense of unreality
 The back of this canvas has a star painted on it. Throughout her career, Georgia used this symbol when
she was pleased with her work.