Detroit Institute of Arts Unveils Hidden Side of Georgia O'Keeffe Through Architectural Works

Key points

• The exhibition 'Georgia O'Keeffe: Architecture' is on view at the Detroit Institute of Arts from September 11 to January 3, showcasing approximately 40 pieces.
• Curator Ben Coleman initiated the show to reframe O'Keeffe's legacy, moving beyond her famous depictions of flowers and bones to focus on her studies of built environments.
• The display includes O'Keeffe's 1932 painting 'Stables,' which served as the conceptual catalyst for the exhibition due to its precise geometric composition.
• Works depicting New York City skyscrapers and smokestacks are featured, created from O'Keeffe's high vantage point in the Shelton Hotel, which was likely the world's tallest residential building at the time.
• A 1949 painting of the Brooklyn Bridge is highlighted as a personal farewell to New York, utilizing light and color in a manner reminiscent of stained glass.
• The show includes a series of abstract paintings of a patio door in her New Mexico home, which O'Keeffe painted dozens of times, influencing contemporaries like Agnes Martin.

Background

Georgia O'Keeffe is historically celebrated for her ethereal depictions of flowers, landscapes, and animal bones, characterized by organic curves. This exhibition contrasts that image with her earlier and later works focused on rigid lines and urban or rural structures. O'Keeffe lived in New York until 1949 before moving permanently to New Mexico, a transition documented in her art. The current exhibition aims to bring attention to the extensive network of architects and designers who influenced her work, a narrative that has remained largely in archives until now.

Why it matters

This exhibition challenges the dominant narrative of Georgia O'Keeffe as solely an organicist artist, revealing her significant engagement with architecture and urbanism. By showcasing her ability to capture the 'spirit' of places through geometric abstraction, the show connects her New York cityscapes with her later New Mexico adobe studies. It also highlights the influence of her work on other modernists, such as Agnes Martin, and provides a new lens for understanding her contribution to abstract art through the study of built environments.

What to watch

The exhibition will remain open at the Detroit Institute of Arts until January 3. Visitors can engage with the works through traditional viewing and immersive digital experiences that simulate the specific vantage points O'Keeffe used, such as the upper floors of the Shelton Hotel and her patio in Abiquiu, New Mexico.