Transcending Nature: Form, Emotion, and Abstraction
This virtual exhibition explores how Georgia O’Keeffe reimagined the visible world through abstraction. Spanning six decades, the selected works highlight her transformation of natural and architectural forms into powerful visual experiences. From magnified flowers to skeletal landscapes and rhythmic lines, O’Keeffe distills emotion and essence into shape, color, and space. Her art challenges us to look beyond surface appearance and to connect deeply with the beauty, mystery, and spirit of the natural world.
These art pieces examine how Georgia O’Keeffe interprets natural and structural shapes flowers, bones, landscape, and architecture into highly individualized abstractions. By enlargements, simplifications, and gestural forms, she encourages one to feel, not just see.
1. Abstraction Blue (1927)
Oil on canvas, 40 1/4 × 30 inches
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
In Abstraction Blue, O’Keeffe delves into pure abstraction, utilizing swirling forms and rich blue hues to evoke emotional responses beyond literal representation. She once remarked, “I found that I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say in any other way—things I had no words for”.
2. Evening Star No. III (1917)
Watercolor on paper mounted on board, 8 7/8 × 11 7/8 inches
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
This delicate watercolor captures the fleeting beauty of twilight. O’Keeffe’s soft washes and subtle gradations reflect her fascination with the changing light of evening skies, blending observation with abstraction.
3. An Orchid (1941)
Oil on canvas, 36 × 30 inches
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
In An Orchid, O’Keeffe magnifies the flower’s form, transforming it into an abstract study of curves and colors. The composition emphasizes the sensuality and complexity of natural structures, characteristic of her floral works.
4. Farmhouse Window and Door (1929)
Oil on canvas, 40 × 30 inches
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
This painting reduces architectural elements to their geometric essentials. Through simplified forms and a limited palette, O’Keeffe explores the interplay of light and shadow, structure and space.
5. From a Day with Juan II (1977)
Oil on canvas, dimensions not specified
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
Created later in her career, this work reflects O’Keeffe’s continued engagement with abstraction. The composition’s dynamic forms and vibrant colors suggest a synthesis of natural impressions and emotional responses.
6. Black Iris (1926)
Oil on canvas, 36 × 29 7/8 inches
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Black Iris exemplifies O’Keeffe’s technique of enlarging floral subjects to the point of abstraction. The close-up perspective and rich tones invite contemplation of the flower’s intricate forms and textures.
7. Abstraction IX (1916)
Charcoal on paper, 24 × 18 inches
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
This early drawing showcases O’Keeffe’s exploration of pure form. Through expressive lines and dynamic composition, she conveys movement and emotion without relying on representational imagery.
8. Pelvis II (1944)
Oil on canvas, 30 × 36 inches
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
In Pelvis II, a bone becomes a sculptural form framing the sky. O’Keeffe transforms this natural object into an abstract composition, highlighting the interplay between solid form and open space.
9. Blue Lines X (1916)
Watercolor with graphite on paper, 25 × 19 inches
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
This watercolor featured fluid lines and subtle color variations. O’Keeffe’s use of line and wash creates a sense of rhythm and movement, reflecting her interest in the expressive potential of abstract forms
10. Black Abstraction (1927)
Oil on canvas, 30 × 40 1/4 inches
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Black Abstraction presents a bold composition of dark forms and negative space. The painting’s stark contrasts and simplified shapes exemplify O’Keeffe’s mastery of abstract design.
