Photo credit of Georgia O'Keeffe: Getty Images
My daughter in law, Gabriela, invited me to go with her to see the Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and I was very happy to say, "yes." I had never seen any of O'Keeffe's work in person before and in this particular exhibit the museum presents the work alongside that of her contemporary in the UK, artist/sculptor Henry Moore. It was a wonderful introduction for me to Moore's work, but I was truly there for O'Keeffe. I do recommend clicking on the hyperlink above for a full explanation of why the MFA chose to exhibit them together, plus all the extra clicks on that link which provide so much additional information on both artists, conservation work for the exhibit, and glimpses of the artists' studios and practice habits.
The exhibit was fascinating to me partly because O'Keeffe, who spent so many of her early years, personally and professionally, along the US Atlantic seaboard, became known for how she saw and captured the American Southwest. I have never been to the that region, although it and the O'Keeffe sites have been on my list of places to travel for a long time.I admit that that landscape in photos feels barren and alien to me, and I have thought that I would every moment of every day feel ocean-starved if I lived there, but O'Keeffe clearly saw and deeply loved those landscapes and started me down a path of greater appreciation.
In the video playing in her studio reproduction at the MFA, she noted that death did not even occur to her as she found bones in the desert and made such affecting paintings of them. Instead she saw life. This inversion of a more typical and generally accepted interpretation of an object or landscape feels like part of what makes her work so compelling. After seeing the exhibit, I don't think of the desert landscapes the same way I had before.
It's a whole different experience for me viewing O'Keefe's desert art vs some of my Atlantic-centric favorites like Winslow Homer, the Wyeths, Edward Hopper, Marsden Hartley, Marguerite Zorach, et al. When I view their work centered around my familiar and much loved Atlantic coast, I easily feel recognition and relatability. With O'Keeffe's southwestern landscapes, I feel as though I'm a stranger being introduced to her part of the world by the best possible host and guide. It's as though seeing it first through her eyes, I am gaining context for when I see it for myself.
My daughter in law, Gabi,and I were taken by how crisp so much of the work is, how O'Keeffe manages to use such delicate shading in some areas of a painting while also maintaining sharp boundaries on edges of elements. The paintings have a sharpness and clarity from across the room, but then when you get closer, more shadow and dimension is revealed. I am untrained as an artist and may be using very imprecise language here, but this was our impression. I am reminded of the crispness and clarity I love so much about Rockwell Kent's paintings, although the overall aesthetic is so different.
Of course, the seashells and florals were immediately relatable for me, especially the autumn leaves theme painted at Lake George, NY. One thing I learned from this exhibit, which was completely new to me, is that O'Keeffe said she did not see anything...anatomical...in some of her famous florals even though a lot of viewers do. Gabi and I batted this topic around for a few minutes, especially after viewing one of O'Keeffe's small sculptures which we also couldn't not see an anatomical corollary for. An interesting treatment of this question can be found here. After reading several articles on this topic, I think regardless of what we see or think we see, we have to honor the stated intention of the artist.
I took just a few photos of her work which I will share here. Photos were permitted! I also took images of two of the plaques which told stories I thought were important to share, especially the one where O'Keeffe explains that she is painting her patio door over and over and over again and is still not confident she has captured what she's trying to show.
This exhibit is on view through January 20th, 2025. If you're near Boston I highly recommend going! There's so much to see and do in Boston; I feel very fortunate to have this city and its museums, historic sites, and cultural centers so relatively nearby. If you go, let me know your impressions too.