Greetings again from the darkness. The “Mother of American Modernism”, while impressive as a moniker, seems to fall short in describing the impact, influence, and lasting legacy of artist Georgia O’Keefe. Oscar winning director Paul Wagner (short film THE STONE CARVER, 1984) has put together one of the most comprehensive and detailed biographical documentaries I’ve seen, and he couldn’t have selected a more deserving subject.
The film opens with an O’Keefe retrospective in Europe … the area’s first real exposure to her work. It’s rare for someone to be so famous and influential in the states, and yet relatively obscure in Europe. One gallery exhibit changed that. Most of us recognize O’Keefe’s work through her use of color and the ties to nature. It’s fascinating to see the path she took towards being the most important female artist of the twentieth century. Mr. Wagner delivers an encompassing profile, beginning with her birth in 1887 on a Wisconsin farm – even showing us the oldest known O’Keefe drawing – a 1901 sketch of laundry day.
Sprinkled throughout the presentation are archival clips from 1960 and 1977 on camera interviews that O’Keefe sat for, as well as numerous other video clips and photographs. The sheer volume of photographs is not surprising given her connection to renowned photographer and art promoter Alfred Stieglitz. The two eventually married, but the professional side may have eclipsed the personal in regard to importance. O’Keefe was a favorite subject of Stieglitz and his camera, and Wagner doesn’t shy away from showing us some of the more risqué shots – a side of O’Keefe rarely seen.
So many things stand out about O’Keefe’s life, and her travels around the country are quite startling, given the era. We trace her from Wisconsin to Virginia to New York to Texas and ultimately New Mexico, where many of her most famous works were crafted. This is a woman who enjoyed life in a NYC skyscraper, a home at Lake George, the dusty plains of Texas, and the New Mexico desert. The energy she drew from bones, skulls, antlers, rocks, and trees all inspired her work and her way of living. Her ‘Ghost House’ in New Mexico was isolated, keeping her connected to nature.
Georgia O’Keefe passed away in 1986 at the age of 98. We learn that at an early age she stopped painting for four years, and we also learn that what brought her back to the canvas was the idea that art begins with abstraction, rather than recreating the works of others. We hear perspectives from an impressive lineup of professors, biographers, curators, and art experts. These are the folks who can adequately place O’Keefe in historical perspective. She’s now a symbol, and this Paul Wagner documentary should be sought out by all aspiring artists and anyone looking to blaze their own trail in life.
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Movie Reviews from the Dark 