Georgia O'Keeffe, by Faizah A. Rajput

For some Georgia O’Keeffe remains a mystery. Born in the late 1800s, the second child of a large family, it was early on in life that Georgia had decided to pursue art. Not only did she study art, but she taught it as well. She established a profoundly translatable way of expressing herself through her artwork, which was unmatched, stylish, and had a signature.

We can see this signature in her many portraits, but especially the many variations of flowers, which became a huge hit, as people saw and experienced each one subjectively. After her time in New York, O’Keeffe started making her way around the world to explore different unique landscapes. It seemed O’Keeffe found a connection in the disconnection, colors, still life, and a more profound sense of perspective. Her work began to feature all the elements of nature, including skeletons representing the beauty and value of death in the American landscape.

After witnessing and paying close attention to the elements, O’Keeffe seemed to have memorized in New Mexico. Even as the artist started losing her sight, she was still able to draw on her imagination. O’Keeffe hired assistants built her home there, and spent most of her days, planting flowers, collecting stones, or painting the hillsides and canyons. The comfortability she found in New Mexico kept her there until she died in 1986. She most likely appreciated the consistency, pace, and solitude of the undeveloped, raw, and natural American South West.

The landscape has hardly changed. Even now, most of the places O’Keeffe traveled, lived, or painted remain the same. Each notable location has placards, or markers, reminding visitors that the sites are appropriately protected. Through O’Keeffe’s work, she was able to immortalize herself, her art, capture each moment, and cause those locations to stay as close as possible to what she painted, making her an artist who has established herself in a male-dominated industry.

Between home tours, studio tours, community events, and museums, there are plenty of magical ways people can experience the magic of O’Keeffe. Visitors can even visit Ghost Ranch, where O’Keeffe was said to have stayed, explored, and sought inspiration from the property. There are also lectures and conversations held to inspire people who are established in art or new to art, to become better familiar with what O’Keeffe did for the art world, and continues to do through the conservation of her artwork.