Georgia O'Keeffe

Georgia O’Keeffe and the Southwestern Still Life, a special exhibit at the  Indianapolis Museum of Art, features works by O’Keeffe and other notable artists who painted the American Southwest. Everyday objects such as fruit or flowers are typically depicted in a still life painting. What makes Georgia O’Keeffe and the Southwestern Still Life unique, according to the IMA, is the way the more than 50 works on display “capture the essence” of a geographic place. The exhibition runs through February 15, 2015.

Georgia O'Keeffe by Charles C. Eldredge, former director of the National Museum of American Art, weaves the story of O'Keeffe's life with the art she produced. Each beautifully illustrated chapter focuses on one of the themes or subjects O'Keeffe explored in her paintings. Although not a biography, the text follows O'Keeffe's life, starting with her early abstractions, and then moving through cityscapes, flowers, deserts, and bones, to conclude with "a glimpse of the infinite," her final paintings of clouds and doors. For younger readers (ages 10 – 12), Wideness & Wonder: The Life and Art of Georgia O'Keeffe by Susan Goldman Rubin is an excellent introduction to the artist's life and work.  Both books can be found in the Library's adult nonfiction collection.