Georgia O’Keeffe: The Mother Of American Modernism

Georgia O’Keeffe - Red and Yellow Cliffs - 1940 - 24 × 36 in. (61 × 91.4 cm) - Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (click photo for larger image)Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) played a pivotal role in the development of American modernism and its relationship to European avant-garde movements of the early-20th century.

Producing a substantial body of work over seven decades, she sought to capture the emotion and power of objects through abstracting the natural world. O'Keeffe incorporated the techniques of other artists into her work and was especially influenced by photographer Paul Strand (1890-1976) and painter Arthur Dove (1880-1946). However, her art is uniquely her own and she always danced to her own tune. 

In 1940, O’Keeffe purchased a house at Ghost Ranch in the Chama River valley of New Mexico. She spent her summers and falls at Ghost Ranch, where she painted the breathtaking views, including these immense red, pink, and yellow striated cliffs that rose up seven hundred feet behind her house. Dotted with green shrubs, the landscape faithfully reproduces the vibrant colors of the American Southwest. Awed by these colorful cliffs, O’Keeffe painted them seven times. 

Dr. Jill will be teaching a six-session ONLINE class on O’Keeffe through the Bethany Arts Community this Fall. Classes will be on Saturdays mornings (10:00-11:00 AM) from October 2nd through November 6th. Click HERE to Register.