Georgia O'Keeffe (Paperback) /anglais

by BARSON TANYA

Georgia OKeeffe

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Biography

272 pages, Paperback

First published October 4, 2016

Reviews

[E. G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foreword, by Frances Morris, Ingried Brugger, Stephan Jost, Michael and Sonja Koerner

--O'Keeffe's Century, Tanya Barson
--Esoteric Art at '291', 1917 - Henry Tyrrell

--Touching the Centre: Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz's Artistic Dialogue, Sarah Greenough
--To MSS. and Its 33 Subscribers ..., 1922 - Georgia O'Keeffe

--Seeing O'Keeffe Seeing, Griselda Pollock
--The Paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe, 1922 - Paul Rosenfeld

--Location and Dislocation in the Life and Art of Georgia O'Keeffe, Cody Hartley
--White Paint and Good Order, 1926 - Waldo Frank

--O'Keeffe's Late Blooms: The Abstract Landscapes, Heike Eipeldauer and Florian Steininger
--Review of an Exhibition of Georgia O'Keeffe, 1946 - Clement Greenberg

--The 'Light One': A Case Study, Georgiana Uhlyarik
--O'Keeffe as I see her, 1933 - Susan Hiller

--Chronology, Hannah Johnston

Notes
Exhibited Works
Further Reading
Index
Picture Credits
Supporting Tate

[Jaimie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I set a new theme for the book club I run I always end up having a little bit of an existential crisis. Even though I’m the one picking the topic, the wide variety of choices in front of me, the challenge of getting a book in from the library in time, and my inability to read a book that I’m not obsessed with (perpetual DNF syndrome, anyone?) counterbalance the excitement of having a new inspirational task to focus my “to read” list. Thankfully, the May theme (April showers bring May flowers) caused slightly less anxiety than usual - even with the shortened timeline between meetings - because I had just picked up this exhibition catalogue on American powerhouse painter, Georgia O’Keeffe, who is known for her gorgeous floral pieces. The exhibition for which the catalogue was produced marked the 100-year anniversary of O’Keeffe’s first showing, with a three-gallery show that served as the first major retrospective of the artist in the 21st century and contained the most wide-ranging selection of her work ever shown. Damn, if my timing wasn’t just the slightest bit off, since the show touched ground in London’s Tate Modern mere months after I visited during the summer of 2016… Thankfully, the galleries made an effort to publish this lovely tome to epitomize the show in memory, and bring it to life for those of us who wished we had been there! As with most art publications, I continue to complain that I want more, more, more, but the heft of this volume is not to be taken lightly. It contains a solid balance of textual narratives that explore the major themes of the exhibition (the artist’s exploration of place, her artistic relationship with her husband, and her impact on future American artists, among others) with lovely reproductions of a selection of the artwork itself. Obviously we aren’t treated to an entire catalogue of O’Keeffe’s work from the show (oh, if only…), but I was impressed by the range presented and enjoyed the fact that I was seeing some pieces that I hadn’t been privy to before (possibly her lesser known work? Or maybe I’m just forgetful, and not a very good acolyte of the artist yet). Scattered throughout, I was surprised to see a selection of historical content, which I don’t feel is often included in catalogues except as a mention or citation, with the expectation of the reader having a solid foreknowledge or looking things up as they read. While I can see this inclusion being seen as an afteraffect by afficionados, it speaks to the historical grounding that the curators took in compiling the exhibition; O’Keeffe may seem to have been divorced from many of the major 20th century global events that we take for granted as having an impact on creative output, but her own writings on her work, the publicity around her shows, and contemporary viewpoints serve to bring her story to life in a way that I don’t feel I’ve seen in many other gallery catalogues - and which the historian in me absolutely adores. What I wouldn’t give to have been able to see this show in London (or in Ontario), as I’m sure the real thing was even more astounding than this lovely book.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The images were what I focused on. I recall those roads around her New Mexico house. It is something that is brought out through her paintings. And there were paintings I had not previously seen. There are Stieglitz's photos of O'Keeffe, beautiful as well.

There was one picture that I wanted to paint. That of the giant cross, perpendicular lines, of black, and then the view from O'Keeffe's window of the mountain range in the distance, with this lovely gradient of violet in the sky, and green in the ground.

[Gail DiVico · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful encyclopedia type book published in 2016, marking one hundred years of her paintings. Additionally, there are write-ups in-between sections giving excellent information. This is another great coffee table book to have on hand. I spent several hours over the last couple of days on this one. Georgia O'Keeffe fans will love it!

[Dewayne Stark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This from the Tate

[cassielaura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ford and bleached skulls
Male gaze intrudes on patios
Organic garden

[T P Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very nice collection of her works reproduced very well. There's some good biographical essays. However, the commentary was quite dense and (to me) unhelpful.

[Tony Hisgett · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent accompaniment to the 2016 Georgia O'Keeffe exhibition at the Tate Modern.