Monday, December 14, 2009

Georgia O'Keeffe Abstracts at the Whitney Museum

Georgia O'Keeffe will never be considered a fashion icon but she was a woman who knew her mind and had a distinctive sense of style. Looking at photographs of her in her minimalist black clothing, her sense of independence and vitality is evident. She was ahead of her time, both in her style of dress and her artwork.


In 1915, Georgia O'Keeffe leaped into abstraction using charcoal as the medium for her first experiments. These drawings are the best place to begin your tour of the 125 abstract paintings, drawings, watercolours and sculptures by Georgia O'Keeffe now on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Music in Pink and Blue Number 2, Georgia O'Keeffe
I've always admired the sensual forms and deft handling of colour that defines much of O'Keeffe's work, but hearing the artist's voice on the audio guide accompanying the exhibition added much to the experience. She said that she used abstraction to explore her thoughts and emotions and asserted that her work was not sexual imagery but about feelings. This is a must see show before it closes on January 17, 2010.


Georgia O'Keeffe Abstractions
Whitney Museum of American Art
945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street
New York
September 17, 2009 - January 17, 2010