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Georgia O'Keeffe
(1887-1986)
With a unique, innovative and original style, Georgia O'Keeffe
stamped her independent mark on 20th century art and culture. Born into
a Wisconsin farming family, which supported and appreciated
individuality, Georgia knew her destiny as a teenager. "After we are
through school," she told her classmates, "I am going to give up
everything for my art. I am going to live a different kind of life from
the rest of you girls." This collection is from a series of flower
paintings in the 20s and 30s.
(CLICK ON THE IMAGES OR LINK
FOR FULL SIZE)
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When she grew up, women were constrained by American society,
in their dress, their education, in their opportunities. Georgia
O'Keeffe did not care about these restraints. She dressed in plain,
loose clothes, tied her hair back in a braid. She took her own ideas
into her art, creating simple paintings with broad areas of smooth,
delicate colours. A superb handling of few colours gave her work a
lustre and life that matched the organic subjects.
She spoke of why she painted flowers; "Nobody sees a flower -
really - it is so small - we haven't time - and to see takes time like
to have a friend takes time...So I said to myself - I'll paint what I
see - what the flower is to me, but I'll paint it big and they will be
surprised into taking time to look at it - I will make even busy New
Yorkers take time to see what I see of flowers."
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She said "The men liked to put me down as the best woman painter. I
think I'm one of the best painters"
Georgia died in 1986 at the age of 98. She left behind her
over 900 paintings, watercolours and drawings. She left a world
transformed by technology and war. Most of all, she left a legacy of
originality that few have followed.
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