Georgia O'Keeffe
Katelyn Rudeen
Perspective of Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia O'Keeffe was renown artist who introduced a new perspective to art. O'Keeffe was born in Wisconsin on a farm in 1887. By age 10, she knew that she wanted to be an artist, so she started taking art lessons from a teacher in her hometown. Throughout her school years, O'Keeffe's artwork was very close-up and different to traditional style of artwork, which was impressive to her teachers. At her art institute in New York, she won the League's Willium Merritt Chase prize for an oil-painting of hers. In 1916 some of Georgia O'Keeffe's drawings were seen and soon exhibited by famous photographer Alfred Stieglitz. Stieglitz later helped O'Keeffe organize her first solo art exhibit in his photo gallery, 291. Soon the two artists fell in love and started living together in New York, although their relationship was very professional. In the 1920's some of her artwork took on a perspective of the city around her, like Shelton Hotel, N.Y. No. 1 (1926) and some of her famous nature works of this time included Black Iris (1926) and Oriental Poppies (1928). It was during this time and era that Georgia O'Keeffe's became known as an important American artist. After her husbands death in 1946, O'Keeffe moved to New Mexico to capture the beautiful landscape and eventually died in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1986, at age 98. Now, most of Georgia O'Keeffe's artwork is continuing to be appreciated in art museums.
Impact on the 1920's
Georgia O'Keefe's fame became apparent in the 1920's. Her different perspective in her artwork fit along perfectly with the overall character of the "Roaring Twenties" era: change.
The art that she exhibited and showed in New York, one of the major cities of this time, could have encouraged the thought and feeling of breaking out of the common. Her artwork was different than other pieces of work, and the fact that she was a female artist, and a successful one, also goes along with the idea that in the era, women could finally do what they wanted and break through expectations set for them.
Questions about the above video
1. What kind of Georgia O'Keeffe's abstraction drawings caught Alfred Stieglitz eye?
2. Why was Georgia O'Keeffe hospitalized for months?
3. What award did Georgia O'Keeffe receive from President Reagan a year before she died?
Quote
"When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it,it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else." -Georgia O'Keeffe
Young Georgia
Georgia was age 28, when this picture was taken in 1915
Husband and Wife
This photo was taken of O'Keeffe and her husband Alfred Stieglitz
Painting in New Mexico
Georgia painting in her car in New Mexico
"Ram's Head White Hollyhock and Little Hills"
One of O'Keeffe's paintings from New Mexico
"East River From the Shelton"
A more urban painting from Georgia's time in New York
"Blue Flowers"
Georgia O'Keeffe was known for painting close-up and perspective images of flowers
Citations
Biography.com:
http://www.biography.com/people/georgia-okeeffe-9427684#famed-artworkGeorgia O'Keeffe Museum's website:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's website