Georgia O’Keeffe at Tate Modern London
We could hardly wait to visit Tate Modern in London for their retrospective of Georgia O’Keeffe!
Recognized as the Mother of American Modernism, Georgia O’Keeffe, born 1887, knew from
the age of ten that she wanted to be a painter. She grew up in Wisconsin, and spent much of
her life in New Mexico, where she died aged 98. The desolate desert landscapes of her homeland
feature in many of her paintings. Yet she is perhaps best known for her enlarged flowers. These
commanded high prices even by the 1920s and her Jimson Weed/White Flower no1 1932
remains the most expensive painting by a woman artist ever sold at auction. In 1946 she was the
subject of the first retrospective the Museum of Modern Art in NY held for a woman.
Her paintings are bold and colourful, enigmatic, often sensuous and sometimes sinister. Many have
seen feminist themes, especially in the flower paintings, though O’Keeffe herself rejected such interpretations.
We loved seeing these mesmerizing works of art. A rare treat, especially as there are no works
by O’Keeffe in UK public collections. The exhibition closes 30 October, don’t miss it!