Among the great American artists of the 20th-century, Georgia O’Keeffe stands as one of the most compelling. For nearly a century, O’Keeffe’s representations of the beauty of the American landscape were a brave counterpoint to the chaotic images embraced by the art world. Her cityscapes and still lifes filled the canvas with wild energy that gained her a following among the critics as well as the public. Though she has had many imitators, no one since has been able to paint with such intimacy and stark precision.
Georgia O’Keeffe was born in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin in 1887. The second of seven children, O’Keeffe longed to be an artist from an early age. In 1905 she attended the Art Institute of Chicago and a year later went to study at the Art Students League of New York. Though her student work was well received she found it unfulfilling, and for a short time abandoned the fine arts. She worked briefly as a commercial artist in Chicago before moving to Texas to teach. During the summer of 1915, O’Keeffe took classes at the Teachers College of Columbia University in South Carolina, and there began her re-entry into the world of painting.
Teaching in South Carolina was Arthur Dow, a specialist in Oriental Art. Dow’s interest in non-European art helped O’Keeffe move away from the forms she had found so stifling in her previous studies. She said of him, “It was Arthur Dow who affected my start, who helped me to find something of my own.” Soon after O’Keeffe’s return to Texas, she made a handful of charcoal drawings, which she sent to a friend in New York. The friend, Anna Pollitzer, showed them to Alfred Stieglitz, a photographer and gallery owner. He was enthused with the vibrant energy of the work, and asked to show them. So, without her knowledge, Georgia O’Keeffe had her first exhibition in 1916 at Steiglitz’s “291 Gallery.”
Within two years, Steiglitz had convinced O’Keeffe to move to New York and devote all of her time to painting. His regular presentations of her work had begun to cause a buzz, and create for a her a small following. Six years later the two were married, beginning one of the most fruitful and well-known collaborations of the modernist era. For the next twenty years the two would live and work together, Steiglitz creating an incredible body of portraits of O’Keeffe, while O’Keeffe showed new drawings and paintings nearly every year at the gallery. Living in Lake George, New York, and in New York City, O’Keeffe painted some of her most famous work. During the 1920s, her large canvasses of lush overpowering flowers filled the still lifes with dynamic energy and erotic tension, while her cityscapes were testaments to subtle beauty within the most industrial circumstances.
In 1929 O’Keeffe took a vacation with her friend Beck Strand to Taos, New Mexico. The trip would forever alter the course of her life. In love with the open skies and sun-drenched landscape, O’Keeffe returned every summer to travel and to paint. When Steiglitz in 1946 died, O’Keeffe took up permanent residence there. More than almost any of her other works, these early New Mexico landscapes and still lifes have come to represent her unique gifts. The rich texture of the clouds and sky were similar to her earlier, more sensuous representations of flowers. But beneath these clouds one found the bleached bones of animals long gone.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, O’Keeffe’s fame continued to grow. She traveled around the world and had a number of major retrospectives in the U.S. The most important came in 1970 at the Whitney Museum of American Art, placing her categorically as one of the most important and influencial American painters. The next year O’Keeffe’s vision deteriorated dramatically, and she withdrew from artistic life. It was not until 1973, after meeting Juan Hamilton, a young ceramic artist, which she returned to working. With his encouragement and assistance, she resumed painting and sculpting. In 1976 her illustrated autobiography, GEORGIA O’KEEFFE was a best seller, and the next year she received the Medal of Freedom from President Gerald Ford.
In 1985 she received the Medal of the Arts from President Ronald Reagan. In March of the next year, at the age of 98, O’Keeffe passed away at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Georgia O’Keeffe’s work remains a prominent part of major national and international museums. For many, her paintings represent the beginnings of a new American art free from the irony and cynicism of the late 20th century.
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WHAT IS HER PAINTING STYLE
her painting stlye is Flowers/ the American West
I’d say abstract…
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didnt help that much tbh ..
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Thanx,
Shayna Varner♥
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thanks =]
Savanah
10/28/08 – 11 am
love the flower posters. will help me get started again with my love of drawing.
Love drawing, so i chose o’keefe for an essay. didn’t know what to write this site helped soo much
i feel like she is an insperation to other artits and this website has all the infomation i needed so THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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astalawista
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GREAT,BUT WHO’S THE AUTHOR OF THIS BIOGRAPHY OF HER??!
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her life looks like it was not fun at all but good web site
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Yeah Thanks for this website it really helped me in my art class, YEAH GOT A A+!!
hahaha you got to be kidding me it is all crap na just joking helpful
THIS PAINTING IS DONE WITH WARM COLORS ITS NICE LOOKING…HOTTTTTT IM 15
COLLLLDDDD
I think Georgia O’ Keeffe is Awesome. I thought this was very helpful for my report. Thank you.
Xiomara Harris
Hahaha Who Cares A Toss
this site has a lot of info. it really helped me out.
thankyou so much i just got an a* in my art exams and am so pleased because now i am painting paintings and sellnig them to galleries
georgia o keefes paintings are SO cool
thank you so much for this website! I had to write a report on an artist for art, and my grandma suggested georgia O’Keefe.so i got on this website and found all the information i needed!
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this is a stupid website it has nothing of the information that i need for my art homework grrr!! oh and its boring.
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much love, TeddyBear
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This site is going to help me on myy art H/W
to rite 5 things about her
cone you help me
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Good info
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shes semms pretty kool by the way
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Thanks for the help guys! XD
thank you for the help on my report, i love your art work.
thisss didnt help me at all. It was rubbish.i will never use this infomation again. RUBBISHH
To be honest, there is no proof of her work, its just about her which isn’t really important in the world of art. Thankyou anyway.
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love this site!
I love this site!!!! I neede info on Georgia O’ Keeffe, and you solved my problem! Thanks!
i can appreciate the artwork she put out. but this site wasnt much help
were u the best artice back then
however found this website thank you. i helped me so much. I got an A+ on my report=)
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thank you to the person found this website! you rock!thank you so much you helped me so much. thanks to you i got an A+ on my report.
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thxxxxxxx i am going to to do sooooooooogood on my art report
this very good paintings but u have to tell in her biography what kind paintings does she draw.
Thanks for all the info. It really helped me with my report!
I love georgia she is so cool
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thanxs alot i will get a good grade now
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thanks very much for getting this information
lize she wanted to be an artist how old was she
WOW
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thanks :)
this is a awonderful thing that hapened to her during her time and i really want her to know that i admire her and im only 13 years old
thx for this site i will help me in my homework n i could get a A thx
Thank for being a strong woman
carnt find the image am looking fro at all but got loads of good flowers for my gcse loveing the site xx
Good pic. I need to dress like her. Don’t worry, i m a girl so it won’t be awkward.
JACK HAS PILES LIKE BALOONS! SAVE YOURSELVES!! RUN I TELL YOU. RUN!!!!!!
I thought this information was very helpful for my report. A lot of a good solid information that I needed came from this site.
thx for the site it relly herp me with my project
Could you send me a list of the places you got your primary sources from? Im working on Georgia O’keeffe for National History and those would really be helpful.
this is so cool. That is great information for my social studies project but i am not pleasurizing (means copying word for word). I would never do that.
i love her she is my favrit artist ever i had to do a report on her painting COWSKULL WITH CALICO ROSES
Georgia O’Keeffe is amazing and has beautiful paintings… whoever sez that she is uninteresting and not important SUX!!! lol
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Hello well my name is Kelsey and i go to mmms and this web site really helped me with my work and you guys are great thanks!:))
Good
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hi #7 is right this is crap!!
my friend amanda said this site helped her a ALOT!! so i just wanted to say thanks she is doing great on her project!
Thanks lots!! this really helped me on my art prject!!! <3
This site is awesome it really helped on my art assignment. Thanks a lot pbs website! Your a lifesaver!!!!!!!
Is it O’ Keefe or O’ Keeffe?
My history teacher says it’s Keefe.
i like this website.
but you should tie it into the decade she did art in and how it helped
it helped me with my art project and i got A* thanks dudes thanks dueds
im juss lurvvvin this website, really cool n it does really help.Thanx!
her paintings look like vagina’s.
Omg!!! i luv thiss site it helped mee soooooo much durinn my homeworkk thank uuu!!!! :)(: ….x
this does not help
I sooooooooooo love her work she helped me in class and shes kool:D!!!!!!!!!!!
i love Georgia’s art, she influences me to draw with pastels…….. o love drawing…..feburary was my b-day!!! i am now 14!!!!!!!!
this site is great im in 3rd grade and i have to do a state in the box thingy and my state is wisconsin and she wasborn in wisconsin so this will help alot thx! ‘:)
Kash loves this!
this heleped me but only did only one part of four
THIS IS GOOD PAINTING MAN
No one said this was a “homework help” forum. It’s an article for people’s enjoyment. #112: It’s plagiarism, NOT “pleasurizing”. That’s disgusting. And #43: It’s an AUTObiography. That means she wrote it herself.
Geogia o keeffe is the best artest i ever learnd about i wish i could see her
your art is fantastic i did you for my repot it helped me alot
#112 is an idiot, “pleazurizing”, come on
This website did not help me at all ….but art work is unique
Awsome paper
I’m doing an art show for my school and this helps a lot but not much, good work though!
Okay, but super CRAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this website is crap i need things about the wite flower on red earth
her paintings are so gorgeus!!! i love flowers!!! giraffes rock
her paintings are so gorgeus!!! i love flowers!!!
her paintings are so pretty
!!! i love flowers!!!
I liked this website alot and it helped me alot with my report!!!!:)
cool. if it is what your into. well what was her art style and her most often used medium?
does anyone know when this was last updated? i need to make a bibliography with this on it, and need update and accessed dates (of course i have accessed) but this site really helped. not the best but i liked it and it is very useful and tells you much.
u helped me alot with my project.thanks an this sit rocks like pradise
U HELP ME ALOT WITH MY PROJECT .THANK AN THIS SIT ROCKS LIKE PRADISE
This website is a life saver it really helped thanks
this website helped me get an A+ on my art project !
=) =) =) =) =) =) toodles !
Thanks for all the laughs! Is this a joke? This information is politically or socially correct? What is your source?
i love this web. !!!!
Hahaha, I love the kid who asked who wrote her autobiography. Hahahaha…
when did she die and how
thx this info is very helpful
WOW
WOW, this is a cool website !!!!!!!! Awsome Thanks
this is amazzzzzzzzing!
This web would be good use for a report, but maybe some more info would be better. I did one report on her a few weeks ago. I needed more than just this info! Totally.
Anyway … it’s okay. I’d say…
7/10 score if I was “the judge”
:)
Wow, this helped me so so much with my art report! This site is so amazing and i love it! :)
what were her habits and what were her hobbies??
who is the author of this
I did not read it but I think your art is awsom exstremly awsome I liked your red poppy well I hav to go .(your art rocks!)
Thanxxx u helped me on my homework lol
Ireally like the colors
it is stunning
this website was awesome i loved it it also helped me with my artist report
(i got to choose the artist)
this helped me so much with my reportand it is a ver good site for data about the subject to. Very good site I RECOMEND IT!!!
this is the best site!!!!!
omg omg omg omg this website is soo useful and all u haters out there stop hatin on this person Georgia Okeefe is now mi homiee gangster thanxx for the help
this website was usefull 4 my art h/w but the asinment was to find out about har work not her life. maby you should do another setion just about her work and style but other than that its great thanx
xx
Thanks a lot, this web really,really helped me on my art report,i think my art teacher, Mrs. jakee would be impress of my report.=] =] =] =] . P.S. u r the best
Thanks a lot, your web really really helped me on my art report =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] P.S you are the best
O Tank Yaw! You Help Me Much! Gracias Amigos! I Love All Of You Smaaart American People. Tis Site FANTASTICO!
Thank you for helping me on my report! it’s due tomorrow!
i think her art is very clear pure,a natural born artist back in the day
i wish i was born natural like that but painting isnt my style, im a natural born sketch artist
she received the national medal of arts in 1983 not 1985
THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This website is very persuasive and it helped me learn about Gergia O’Keeffe, and her paintings……
Thanks for the fun facts….. .:xoxokaitlyn:.
This is Zach, I enjoyed the painting facts….
Georgia O’Keeffe is my idol….
Thank you for the fun facts…. :)
hey thanks :)
this was an awesome site that really helped me thanks :)
Thanks a lot I needed some info for my art homework thanks !!!!! xxxx ;)
good sight very helpful over all report 7 out of 10
this was also a great site I was able to past my test
This is really informative and helpful in completing my class presentation on her. ^_^
pretty good but it needs pic.s!!!!!!
yo thks alot for this stuff it helped me with my school work
this helped alot with my final exam paper.
O.M.G cause you are the best you are the artist that i choose that i need to report so cool ………..thank you….!!!!!,,,,,,,
hi im only 12 but this ite really helped me with my art home work and your paintings are incredible i hope to paint like you!
this is a realy helpful site
this really helped me in my art homework
tnx…xx
pwincess
I love Georgia O’ Keefe paintings
this really helped me for my homework thanks.
Wow, you really helped me with my report thanks!
this website helped me with my report thankyou
thanks for helping me with my homework <3 :)
thank you to who ever made this web site because it really helped me with my art homework on georgia o’keeffe
hey thanks for this website aye…i really needed it 4 my art assignment!!!
i never new just hw much ppls like her…. shes awsome…
ummm… wen did she die? and wats her type of art? i n she dose oils i think…
but i just need info… so yep fanxs for that newais… :)
The article says that she died in 1986 at the ripe old age of 98-wow, long life!! This article was helpful for me as my assignment is on her
this website really helps me with my with art project. my teacher is mrs sedgewick
It wasn’t very helpful… oh well :(
your paintings make me feel dark inside and made me cry and want to cut myself
She was a HORRIBLE painter.
Great information, but I wanted to point out that Stieglitz’s name is spelled wrong. It is “ie”. I just wanted to note that for anyone using this site for research.
Dalton, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. O’Keefe’s work, OMG, as the kids say. Incredible and beautiful. She captures the beauty of the southwest (which I love and makes my heart go pitter patter) most wonderfully. Her cityscapes are inspiring!
Georgia O’Keefe was brilliant. She embodied her art in it’s true realistic realm.She exhumed life and promted meditation into the wonders of every object in our world. She was simple and respected the beauty found in nature, dead or alive. Her colors were magnificant. My favorite an most respected artist. She painted from her heart to her soul and straight to the canvass.
Type Georgia O’Keefe art into a search engine…….there is alot of it.
I think Georgia O’ Keefe is a very artistic person. And if people dont have anything good to say then they beter keep it to themselves because no one cares. You got to be an idiot to take everything as a joke.
this really helped me with my research project. Georgia O’ keefe is a amazing artist and i love her art.
After seeing a movie on Lifetime cable about this remarkable woman, I had to learn more about her. This web site gave me that. A wonderful artist that gave life to everything she painted and inspiration to all.
i like the art i chose you for my ARTIST PROFILE
hey i love ur website we are doing a project on u n i love the website xoxo kiki
wow georgia is a brilliant artist that is why i have chose her for my artist sheet. i love art but also you have really helped me with my research. so if anyone needs any info go to this webpage/site.
and just want to say Thankyou x
Great website helped alot thanx!!!
Great Resource! Thanks:)
Is this episode for sale?
wow this site really helped! her paintings are amazing ^.^