American artist Georgia O'Keeffe (Georgia O'Keeffe): pictures, biography

Georgia O'Keeffe is known as the "mother of American modernism". Her works were interpreted according to Freud, but she herself did not recognize such analogies. She loved drawing flowers and leaves, landscapes with rocks, and all her paintings found their admirers. In 2014, its "White Flower" No. 1 was sold at auction for more than $ 4 million. This is a record for a picture written by a woman.

Childhood and youth

Georgia O'Keeffe, whose paintings we will next consider, was born in the distant 1887 in the city of San Prairie, Viscountin. Her parents, Francis and Ida O'Keeffe, kept a dairy farm. His father was an Irishman, and his mother's father was Count George Victor Totto. In his honor the granddaughter was called. Georgia was the eldest of seven children. By the age of 10 she decided to become an artist. Over time, the family moved to Villasburg, Virginia. Here she was the best student of an art school. After graduating from school in 1905, the girl studied for a year at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Moving to New York, she received a scholarship for a still life with a dead rabbit to participate in outdoor activities. In 1908, Georgia visited the exhibition of water colors Rodin, which was organized in his gallery 291 by the famous photographer and supporter of modernism Alfred Stiglitz (1864 - 1946).

Searches for the Road

At 20, O'Keeff refused to work as an artist, as she was irritated by the smell of solvents. She began to teach painting, but often changed jobs in different cities and states. Simultaneously, the young artist took over the experience of teachers who were with her side. In 1912, she became interested in the principles of oriental design.

Again New York

By 1915 - 1916, she again began to paint. Georgia O'Keeffe paintings at this time painted with charcoal and watercolor. There were enough of them for the exhibition. The work was abstract. Blue Line, she painted many times. One of the first variants was made with watercolor on paper in 1916. What she wanted to say is difficult to understand. In abstraction, everyone sees only what he wants to see. Stiglitz exhibited ten of her works, performed in Texas, in her gallery. They did not meet, but they corresponded for two years and, finally, decided to live together, although Alfred was 23 years older and also married. By this time belongs a photograph of 1918, which is placed at the beginning of the article. In total, Stiglitz made no less than 350 of her portraits. In 1924, his divorce was approved by a judge, and the artist and photographer were married. The work of 1919, Blue Line, is strikingly different from the first options. And it is done differently - oil on canvas. The picture, of course, is decorative and speaks of a good sense of color of the painter. But what is it about? The author is very fond of saying one of the most brilliant philosophers - Schopenhauer: "Who clearly thinks, he clearly states." This applies to painting. Georgia O'Keeffe paintings with a blue line wrote definitely just enjoying the game of color, shape. In the second case also the ability to convey the depth of space. Perhaps, there is nothing more to say about them.

Style changes

In the 1920s, Georgia O'Keefe began painting large-scale paintings. Natural forms (flowers, foliage) seem to look through a magnifying glass. In 1924 she painted her first huge flower - "Petunia No. 2". This work, she presented at the exhibition in 1925 together with the landscapes of New York. These were transformed skyscrapers, consisting of patterned sparkling structures.

New Mexico

In 1929, O'Keeffe began to seek new sources of inspiration for work. She wanted to avoid summer surrounded by the family of Stiglitz and his friends, to retire. For 16 years she will come here to New Mexico every summer. It attracts ancient Mexican architecture, vegetation, skulls and bones on the sand - symbols of the desert. And in 1945, Georgia will buy an old adobe house and settle there in 1946 after the death of her husband.

"Autumn leaves"

The picture of Autumn Leaves, which we represent, was written in 1924. The artist collects shells, beautiful stones, bones on Lake George, as well as bright leaves that amaze her imagination with a variety of shapes and colors. Most of the leaves of its palette acquire all the shades of red, crimson, ocher and green, creating a festive mood of autumn. These oak leaves cling to the plane, overlapping each other. But they do not merge with each other. They are isolated from each other. All items are enlarged. The remains of summer are underlined in green. Between 1922 and 1931, Georgia created 29 paintings on the theme of autumn leaves. Here's another Autumn Leaves (1927), Which illustrates the exquisite balance that the artist has established between abstraction and realism. The leaves are stacked on top of each other. The background is slightly circumcised. But on the first sheet, as through a magnifying glass, we see enlarged veins. Leaves seem to be forwarded and ask them to carefully consider, while usually we walk on them without looking. During this period, Georgia O'Keefe's paintings form in a new nascent style that characterizes her most iconic images.

Growth of popularity and death of her husband

In the 30's and 40's, her work became more recognizable. She takes part in exhibitions. The painting with a deer skull and wildflowers became one of her most famous works. In 1946 she was, as usual, in the summer in New Mexico and learned about the grave condition of her husband's health. He died, and his ashes were scattered over Lake George. Georgia O'Keeffe spent three more years in New York. At this time she was engaged in the affairs of the inheritance. Then she moved to New Mexico for good.

"Belladonna"

Bella Donna, which you now see, was written in 1939. The artist was fascinated by the flower and created a large series. She herself said something like this: "No one sees the flower, because it is really small. We do not have time to look at it. So I decided to draw it big so that everyone was surprised to look at it. " The second picture, presented here, is also devoted to the belladonna - Bella Donna. The background became more saturated. The flowers themselves played yellowish, pinkish, bluish and turquoise tones, which set off the whiteness of the petals. With the enthusiasm of the pedant the artist achieves more and more similarity with the real living flower, while at the same time creating a generalized image.

Black Iris

Black Iris, painted in oil on canvas, refers to the early works of 1926. But he caused a heated discussion. First, it is considered an undoubted masterpiece by O'Keeffe. And then they talk about him and argue. Expanding the petals beyond the possible, the artist makes the viewer observe all its minute details. If the picture were not monumental (its dimensions are 91.4х75.9 cm), they would be missed. She considered the paintings of this group insolent. He was shocked by them. Look at yourself and try to understand what the secret is.

Artistic vision and individual style

O'Keeffe was looking for abstract forms of real objects. With great subtlety, she found subtle nuances of form, light and color. Landscapes, flowers, bones were studied by her in series successively throughout the year, and if required, several years. Or even decades. The works of the 50's, 60's, 70's relied on images already present in the paintings of the mid-40's. Flowers on her canvases are often called erotic, which is not entirely true. Georgia O'Keeffe paintings energize the great artist. In this case, life experience is transferred to the canvas. In addition, in the paintings there is that individuality that initially she personally has. Her pictures convey a subjective impression of what she saw.

Late years

By 1972, O'Keeffe had almost lost her sight. She could not write oil, but she worked with charcoal and pencil. Then she met a young potter, who soon became her confidant and companion. After her death in 1986, at the age of 98, her body was cremated and the ashes scattered. On this, it seems, you can put an end to the story of the long life of the artist named Georgia O'Keeffe. Biography, however, continued, as all property was left to the companion. Relatives disputed the will, and the case was settled out of court. A part of its assets was created a museum in Santa Fe, which houses the entire creative heritage of Georgia O'Keeffe. The text of the article is written on the basis of the English-language Wikipedia.