Deanna & Julie discuss Georgia O’Keeffe: Who was she? What were her paintings like? Why should we study her? Join us as we chat about the life and works of the Mother of American Modernism and grow to truly appreciate her dedication to the arts.

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Who was Georgia O’Keeffe?

• Born on Nov. 15, 1887
• She knew at 10 years old that she wanted to be an artist
• Attended Art School
• Discovered by Alfred Stieglitz, who later became her husband
• Live part time in New York and part time in northern New Mexico
• She actively managed her art career and her public image
• Her art was appreciated and liked in her time and after her death
• Died very wealthy at 98 years old on Mar 6, 1986

What was O’Keefe’s Art Like?

• Modern
• Influenced by Precisionsim, Futurism, Constructivism, Cubism, and Surrealism
• Very little influence seen from Historical events (WWI, Depression, WWII, Civil Rights…)
• Mostly still life and landscapes (rarely painted people)
• Common subjects include flowers, animal skulls, New Mexico landscape, and New York City scapes
• Her paintings often use a limited number of colors, but use the full value range (lights and darks) of one or more colors.

Why Study O’Keeffe?

• To understand art in American- she was the “Mother of American Modernism”
• To help us be part of our own culture- Her paintings are frequently referred to
• To discuss “what is abstract art”
• To learn to appreciate abstract art
• To help us glimpse how the inner circle of artists in New York worked
• To give us practice creating tones

Things we mention:

• School of Art Institute of Chicago
• Espionage Act of 1917
• Arthur Wesley Dow (greatly influenced O’Keeffe’s early work)
• Alfred Stieglitz (O’Keeffe’s patron and then husband)
• Value- one of the 7 Elements of Art
• Modern Art Movements: Precisionsim, Futurism, Constructivism, Cubism, and Surrealism
• Georgia O’Keeffe Museum (I love you guys!! Thank you for allowing me to use your images in my lesson!)
• The Ridge Light Ranch Lesson plan about Georgia O’Keeffe for $4.99
• A previous Ridge Light Ranch blog post about O’Keeffe which includes a video about how to paint in tones

O’Keeffe’s Art we Mentioned:

• The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum of Art’s collection of O’Keeffe’s Work is a great place to see O’Keeffe’s work!
• Series 1, White and Blue Flower Shapes, 1919
• Abstraction White Rose, 1927
• Turkey Feather with Horseshoe, II – 1935
• Stump in Red Hills – 1940
• Untitled (Grapes) 1901-02
• Untitled (seated figure) 1901-02