Georgia O'Keeffe's Vision of American Modernism

Georgia O'Keeffe (1887–1986) forged a distinctly American modern art, rejecting European models. Born in Wisconsin, she studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League in New York. After teaching in South Carolina and Texas, she created innovative charcoal drawings in the mid-1910s. Alfred Stieglitz exhibited them at his 291 gallery, launching her career. O'Keeffe reduced forms to essentials, painting enlarged flowers, New York skyscrapers, and Southwestern landscapes. Her 1920s flower paintings, like 'Oriental Poppies,' presented blossoms at monumental scale. In 1929, she first traveled to New Mexico, whose dramatic geology and colors became central to her work. After Stieglitz's death in 1946, she moved permanently to New Mexico, living at Ghost Ranch and Abiquiú. The Pedernal mesa appeared repeatedly in her paintings. Later, she created works inspired by aerial views from planes. O'Keeffe demonstrated that American modernism could achieve significance without following European precedents, building a visual language from American landscapes and forms.