Product Description
For seven decades Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986) was a major figure in American art who, remarkably, maintained her independence from shifting artistic trends. She painted prolifically, and almost exclusively, the flowers, animal bones, and landscapes around her studios in Lake George, New York, and New Mexico, and these subjects became her signature images. Remaining true to her own unique artistic vision, she created a highly individual style of painting that synthesized the formal language of modern European abstraction and the subjects of traditional American pictorialism. Ever popular with American critics and the public since the first years of her career, O'Keeffe's reputation with contemporary audiences has expanded into the international arena. This comprehensive and illuminating new book surveys Georgia O'Keeffe's complete oeuvre—drawings, watercolors, and paintings from all periods—and explains her life in the context of her artistic output. The accessible text provides in-depth analysis of her most important pictures and highlights the recurring themes and images that unite her large body of work. The discussion incorporates current scholarship and benefits from the recent publication of the artist's catalogue raisonné. O'Keeffe's relationships with fellow artists such as Arthur Dove, Marsden Hartley, John Marin, Paul Strand, and, especially, Alfred Stieglitz are also explored. It was not uncommon for her to adapt to her own artistic purposes specific images, themes, or compositions from other people's work, although her ideas more often paralleled, and sometimes even preceded, those of other artists. Throughout her long and productive life, Georgia O'Keeffe was emphatic in her belief that art could not be explained adequately with words: "Colors & line & shapes seem for me a more definite statement than words." Yet, despite her protestations, candid writings from every period exist in the artist's vast correspondence, and they are quoted here to provide greater understanding of her personality and her thoughts about art. 75 color and 75 b/w illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

More is less, a great bio in a small book
This book gives the reader a great outline of O'Keeffe's life. Best of all, the author matches the artist's personal development with her work so that one can travel in O'Keeffe's footsteps and appreciate both her outlook and inner eye.

Meet the real Georgia O'Keeffe!!
This is an unusually perceptive and sensitive view of the life and art of Georgia O'Keeffe. The author not only includes information about the friends of Georgia, but samples of the works that very probably influenced her development as an artist. The photographs of Georgia at various times in her life were a nice addition. I learned more about this wonderfully independent artist from this book than from the other dozens of books that I have read about her. Very readable, and highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
This beautiful book is a collection of Georgia O’Keeffe’s major drawings, done between 1915 and 1963. Each drawing is accompanied by the artist’s comments, usually on how, why, where, or when she made the drawing. The book was originally published in 1974 in a signed, limited edition of one hundred copies, which has since become a collectors’ item. O’Keeffe’s text was her first writing intended for book publication. This new edition, including an updated bibliography, is intended, in Doris Bry’s words, as “a tribute to O’Keeffe’s drawings, an appreciation of her use of the written word, and a proof that a beautifully designed and printed book can be made available to a wide public at an affordable cost.” ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Charming and unusual
How charming and unusual to hear in O'Keeffe's own words the stories behind her early drawings -- from the time she stopped all art altogether for some time until she felt she absolutely had to put this on paper, and then see what it was; to stories of New Mexico antelopes, to a portrait, her words and drawings give an entirely new slant to the usual more familiar paintings and biographies. ... Read more

Product Description
A highly acclaimed biography of Georgia O'Keeffe that emphasizes her ongoing struggle for autonomy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

In depth biography but too much info
This is a very comprehensive biography of Georgia O'Keefe. It is difficult however to keep track of the names, places, dates, etc., because of all the information that is contained in the book.It might have been better if the author had broken this biography into different periods of the artist's life and/or aspects of the artist's life.

The artist's life was so full emotionally and artistically but the author often shifts back and forth between art and psyche.This often made the bookdifficult to follow. I wanted to understand Georgia's emotional makeup and how it contributed to the development of her art but was not able to really get a handle on this because of all the information that the author felt necessary to include.I felt there was an attempt to include too much information.

An complete portrait?
This biography is factually complete, and worth reading for that reason alone, but I find two great flaws in the work:Ms. Robinson's voice intervenes loudly between the reader and the subject, and some of the judgments she reaches about Ms. O'Keeffe's actions, especially in regard to her relationship with Alfred Stieglitz seem disturbingly naive.

Why not let readers draw their own conclusions about Ms. O'Keeffe on the basis of the undeniably good research Ms. Robinson has done? And how is it possible for her to believe that, for example, the choice Ms. O'Keeffe made in becoming Stieglitz's lover was a truly free and active choice?Though O'Keeffe was a woman of thirty-one at the time, and certainly deeply attracted to Stieglitz, she was very ill and totally dependent on him. (Chapter 15 in particular details this early portion of their relationship.)He spoke of her as a "captive swan," and the description of his taking her to bed and then taking photographs of her marks him perhaps as something of a predator as well as an artist.Ms. Robinson remarks, "Georgia's willingness to collaborate, however, is unsurprising:the series [of photographs] constitutes and commemorates an act of love."Perhaps so, but to ignore other the other aspects of the situation gives an incomplete portrait of these two figures.And, in earlier chapters, the author writes in some detail of Georgia's appreciation of the potential conflict in being both an artist and a model, and this for art which was not nearly as intimate as that for which Stieglitz was using her.Although Ms. Robinson remarks briefly her thought that Georgia was aware that her collaboration in this art was important, she doesn't truly offer insight into how this reserved and independent young woman came to this conclusion.

I hope that someone building on Ms. Robinson'sthorough research will write a more textured biography of this interesting and important artist.

An Incredible Biography
"A Life" is the best book on painter Georgia O'Keeffe available. Every moment in Georgia's life is written about with painstaking detail. Nothing is missed. From her relationship with Alfred Steiglitz and his entourage from "291" to her intimate relationship with sculptor Juan Hamilton. I can't say enough how amazing this book is and how enjoyable it is to read.

A Beautiful and Engaging Tribute to a Brilliant Artist
Georgia O'Keeffe's life was one lived with courage and beauty and Robinson does her justice by writing this beautiful and engaging biography.The author delves into O'Keeffe's life and the passion of her work bydescribing her family history, her evolution as an artist, and perhaps moreimportant to O'Keeffe, her evolution toward becoming her true self.Theextra and vital layer that adds even more depth to this biography isRobinson's description of the art scene and the philosophies of artcirculating in early 20th century New York.

This book would be ofinterest not only to those who enjoy O'Keeffe's work but also to those whoare trying to become themselves, those who are interested in the history ofart in America, or those who like to read for the sake of feeling beautifulwords flowing through their mind.

This book was difficult for me to putdown and I didn't want it to end. Roxana Robinson's work is a gem. ... Read more

Product Description

Georgia O'Keeffe, one of the most original painters America has ever produced, left behind a remarkable legacy when she died at the age of ninety-eight. Her vivid visual vocabulary -- sensuous flowers, bleached bones against red sky and earth -- had a stunning, profound, and lasting influence on American art in this century.

O'Keeffe's personal mystique is as intriguing and enduring as her bold, brilliant canvases. Here is the first full account of her exceptional life -- from her girlhood and early days as a controversial art teacher...to her discovery by the pioneering photographer of the New York avant-garde, Alfred Stieglitz...to her seclusion in the New Mexico desert, where she lived until her death.

And here is the story of a great romance --between the extraordinary painter and her much older mentor, lover, and husband, Alfred Stieglitz.

Renowned for her fierce independence, iron determination, and unique artistic vision, Georgia O'Keeffe is a twentieth-century legend. Her dazzling career spans virtually the entire history modern art in America. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Excellent Read
This is a book with good information on Georgia and her life. It covers both Triumph and Tribulations.
I would recommend to any fan of hers.

an excellent portrait
If you enjoy O'Keeffe's paintings this is a book well worth reading.It is both surprising andilluminating to see the amazing woman behind such breathtaking beauty.A thorough, well written biography.

Portrait of An Artist: A Biography of Georgia O'Keeffe by Laurie Lisle
Our reading group all picked a different biography and we discussed our choices at our last meeting.Portrait of An Artist: A Biography of Georgia O'Keeffe was my pick.This was an interesting and easy read that often revealed O'Keeffe's multi- faceted personality and artistic nature and work.I found the black and white photos of O'Keeffe, many of which were taken by her mentor and husband Stieglitz,often as revealing as Laurie Lisle's words.The bio reveals the artist from birth in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, in 1887 to her death in Taos, New Mexico in 1986.

It's not a perfect portrait as the author seems to impose her own opinions/guesses on why the artist reacted or thought certain things.But it was a good overview of her career and life.O'Keeffe valued privacy and freedom in her life.She was an accepted and successful artist at a time when many felt only men could be accomplished artists.Lisle's biography hightlights the fact that O'Keeffe wasn't a perfect person but that what mattered to her most was her art. I wish some of O'Keeffe's paintings had been included in the bio since the artist herself said that her life wasn't the important thing.It was her art that mattered.

#1 Biography
This is perhaps my all time favorite biography in the world. I read it when I was in my young twenties and it had a major impact on my life. Not only is Georgia O'Keefe a great inspiration but Laura Lisle captures her life in wonderful enriching details. A great read, I can hardly put it down each night. After looking for this out of print book for years I am so glad to finally have a copy again.I do have one complaint about this new release which is that the print is a little big and bold, but I am getting used to it.

Extraordinary Women!
I didn't know much about this artist, but enjoyed learning about her in this biography.
She definitely became a treasured roll model to me. ... Read more

Product Description
Georgia O’Keeffe is one of the great artists of the twentieth century, and one of the best loved. The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico, holds the largest collection of her work, her archives, and her houses at Ghost Ranch and in Abiquiu.

This lavishly illustrated volume presents a magnificent selection of O’Keeffe’s paintings, drawings, and sculptures, all reproduced in faithful color. It also offers a generous portfolio of photographs—some previously unpublished—by O’Keeffe; many by Alfred Stieglitz, her husband and mentor; and others by such renowned photographers as Ansel Adams, Eliot Porter, Philippe Halsman, Yousuf Karsh, and Todd Webb.

In addition, there are a number of works by American Modernist painters who painted in New Mexico—George Bellows, Thomas Hart Benton, and Edward Hopper, among others. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Georgia O'Keeffe Museum Collections
Georgia O'Keeffe was more than an artist, she was a women way beyond her time.Exceptional pictures and writings.

Absolutely worth the price
This is a HUGE, beautiful book which features some of Georgie O'Keeffe's most stunning works.

The book is 12"x 10" and as thick as a dictionary, if not thicker. I was surprised by the heft of it.

The entire book (besides a few pages of introductory text) is comprised of large, full-color plates of O'Keeffe's most luminous works. There are over 300 plates in all. The pages are super-thick and glossy, and there are several "fold out" pages to provide an even closer look at some of the works of art. The color is bright and vibrant.

Note: One reviewer commented that there was too much "white space" around the images- I completely disagree. The images are made as large as possible and often cover the entire page, save a small white border around the image. Some of O'Keeffe's images are either horizontal in orientation or very long and tall; therefore, the only way to get the entire image on a page without distorting it, cropping it, or turning it is to surround it with *some* kind of border. However, the images are as large as possible- there are no "postage stamp" size images.

This is truly a generous offering of O'Keeffe's entire career. It's one of those art books that makes me feel lucky to own. It's really beautiful.

Very Nice Reproductions!
In contrast to a previous review which said the reproductions in this book are very small, I don't agree. It's a large book, and most of the reproductions are decent-sized and good quality.
Along with the wonderful reproductions of Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings are some very nice photographs of her.This book isn't heavy on text, but what there is, I found valuable in interpreting the paintings.
I'd recommend this book highly for any O'Keeffe fans.

Prints are tiny!
I flipped through this book at Barnes and Noble, and was frustrated to find that while the pages were large, the prints were tiny! Just a few inches across, usually. Anyone planning on buying this should know.

Georgia O'Keeffe Would Have Loved This Book!
Georgia O'Keeffe would have loved this book!Not only does Barbara Buhler Lynes, curator of Santa Fe's Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, respect her subject's astonishing eye and craftsmanship in this book, she respects Ms. O'Keeffe's wishes regarding displaying her works of art.During her lifetime, the artist often mounted her own shows, e.g., at An American Place, her husband Alfred Stieglitz's gallery in New York.Ms. O'Keeffe was adamant (a) that her creations be hung on white walls, and (b) that her artwork be arranged by type rather than chronology.

Lynes abides by both of the artist's rules here to great effect, and her meticulousness, in terms of the notes she provides about the artist's work and also the tags she associates with the plates (where she identifies the type and size of the surface used and also the type of medium:charcoal, graphite, oil, watercolor), add another layer of enjoyment for the reader.

Lynes' notes attempt to steer the reader away from stereotypical interpretations that haunted Ms. O'Keeffe during her career.For instance, regarding "Blue II" (Plate 3, Page 19), the curator states:"The . . . womblike spiral of 'Blue II' seems to substantiate connections critics in the 1920's made between O'Keeffe's work and female sexuality.Yet when she made this watercolor, O'Keeffe was intensely involved in playing the violin, and . . . the form . . . of the spiral in her watercolor most likely derive[s] from the scroll-shaped termination of the neck of the instrument . . ."

Categories in the book include abstractions, still lifes, architecture, animal and human forms, and trees.Every reader will find his or her favorite here; mine are the artist's representations of feathery kachina dolls and New Mexico's Pedernal.The last category in the book contains works by other artists at the museum whose careers, in some way, parallelled that of Ms. O'Keeffe.Stieglitz photographs (including a Georgia O'Keeffe nude) are here, as well as Ansel Adams' memorable "gelatin silver print" of Georgia O'Keeffe and Orville Cox at Canyon de Chelly National Park. ... Read more

Product Description
When Georgia O'Keeffe first visited New Mexico in 1917, she was instantly drawn to the stark beauty of its unusual architectural and landscape forms. In 1929, she began spending part of almost every year painting there, first in Taos, and subsequently in and around Alcalde, Abiquiu, and Ghost Ranch, with occasional excursions to remote sites she found particularly compelling. Georgia O'Keeffe and New Mexico is the first book to analyze the artist's famous depictions of these Southwestern landscapes.

Beautifully illustrated and gracefully written, the book accompanies an exhibition of the same name at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It reproduces the exhibition's 50 paintings and includes striking photographs of the sites that inspired them as well as diagrams of the region's distinctive geology. The book examines the magnificence of O'Keeffe's work through essays by three noted authors. Barbara Buhler Lynes, Curator of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and organizer of the exhibition, discusses the relationship of the artist's paintings to the places that inspired her.

Frederick Turner offers an illuminating essay contrasting O'Keeffe's fabled aloofness from the well-established art colony in Santa Fe with her intense closeness to the local landscape she so fiercely loved. Lesley Poling-Kempes furnishes a fascinating chronicle of O'Keeffe's years in the region as well as a useful explanation of the geological forces that produced the intense colors and dramatic shapes of the landscapes O'Keeffe painted.

Buffalo, New YorkJanuary 28-May 08, 2005 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent book for artists and those who appreciate fine art
Excellent book on this artist and her work.Would recommend to everyone with an eye on art and special ways to see artistic subjects.

One of the best books on O'keeffe
To understand this woman's art, you have to know her place.

This is it.Her wellspring.The place she felt at home.

I adore this book.To see pictures of the places right next to O'keeffe's versions is just stunning.

I believe god gave her Perdinal, after all.

Living in New Mexico
I live 12 miles from Abiquiu, New Mexico where Georgia O'Keefe lived and painted the last 39 plus years of her life.One can only imagine the beauty from her paintings unless you've had the opportunity to see it in person.The book does have quite a few of the paintings she did while living in Abiquiu and at Ghost Ranch; however, if you are interested in reading about her life, the book to read is Portrait of An Artist; A Biography of Georgia O'Keefe by Laurie Lisle.I couldn't put the book down!

A Perfect Place
I've toured her home in Abiquiu, visited the museum in Santa Fe, and now toured Ghost Ranch to view the locales of many of Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings. This book is a perfect reminder of these experiences and one I already treasure. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume traces the career of American painter, Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986). The illustrations document the most important periods in her life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

marvelous prints, absorbing essays
If you enjoy the works of Georgia O'Keeffe, this is a book you'll want to savor.The reproductions of her paintings are marvelously printed, and the accompanying essays of O'Keeffe's life and work are erudite and lucid.

There are also pictures of O'Keeffe at various stages of her life and career, ranging from her time as a young student at the University of Virginia, into her weathered, mature age, the last one featuring her at 90 at Ghost Ranch in the desert.

You may want to scan many of the pictures, as I did, for use ascomputer desktops and ornamental additions to emails. Kudoes to Britta Benke for this must-have book for those who appreciate Georgia O'Keeffe! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent example of the Book
I have enjoyed Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings and drawings since I found a discount large format art book with her art in the 1980s.This book is expertly printed on heavy paper which shows her images well and the signatures are tight yet easy to open which indicates to me that this book will last for years in good condition.

I enjoyed reading the captions informational background on the paintings and drawings.I even found the articles that i sampled to be interesting and informative which I cannot say for some of the art books I've looked at over the years.I am an aspiring painter and photographer but I find a lot of art theory difficult to read.I haven't read through any of the articles in this book but I have skimmed through enough that I am planning to go back to the text when I have more time to see what I might learn about the artist and her art.

Even as merely a coffee table book I think it works well.Do note that there are a few nude art photos in the volume if you are squeamish about that sort of thing.

Very pleased
I was very pleased with the item that I ordered.It arrived earlier than the estimated date.It was in brand new condition and the price was considerably better than what I found in stores.

O'Keeffe rediscovered
This catalogue accompanies the current exhibition held at the Whitney Museum of Art in New York and is definitely a groundbreaking publication. If you thought, as I confess I did, that Georgia O'Keeffe was merely a decorative painter of flowers with a sexual undertone to her paintings, well you should revise your judgment, go and see the exhibition and buy the book. It shows what the artistactually was: a master of color and a pioneer of abstraction who had few equals at the time in the United States. The book, while stressing her relationship with gallery-owner and pioneer of modern art Alfred Stieglitz (through his gallery 291 on 5th avenue in NYC), concentrates on her early and mysterious abstractions (some works, such as charcoal drawings of 1915-1916,are variations on black, grey and white, which might be said to herald Jasper Johns's much later grey studies)with a sensible text and high-quality illustrations. There are even some genuine discoveries, such as O'Keeffe'srare abstract sculptures.

Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986) is one of the most enduringly popular American artists--and one of the most compelling. Her monumental depictions of flowers and dramatic landscapes of the desert and cliffs of New Mexico are instantly recognizable as hers. This slim, portable, affordable volume provides readers with a splendid selection of her best works, superbly reproduced from the premier collection of her art--that of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe.

A brief history of the museum opens the book, and its gorgeous paintings are beautifully printed on heavy stock. This volume is a peerless introduction to one of the preeminent artists of the 20th century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A great overview of the museums collection
The collection held by the museum is vast. This work provides a great overview and examples of her works from the different periods in her life. I would eagerly recommend this to any Georgia Okeeffe's fans or those that just want to see examples and highlights of her work. ... Read more

Product Description
The twelve floral and botanical paintings reproduced in this calendar beautifully exemplify O'Keeffe's poetic visual language.

Published with the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. Size: 12 x 13 in.; opens to 12 x 26 in. Printed on FSC certified paper with soy-based ink. ... Read more

Product Description
Ansel Adams and Georgia O'Keeffe first metin Taos, New Mexico, in 1929. She was already an established artist, while he was at the beginning of his career, and their friendship lasted for the rest of their lives.

GEORGIA O'KEEFE AND ANSEL ADAMS: NATURAL AFFINITIES suggests parallels in their distinctive visions of both natural and human-made environments and illustrates the artists' achievements in capturing the reality and essence of the world around them. More than 100 beautifully reproduced paintings and photographs are accompanied by critical essays on Adams and O'Keeffe and a biographical essay on the friendship between Adams, O'Keeffe, and Alfred Stieglitz. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

a good combination of there story and there art.
Very good quality art reproductions and well-written personnel story, not too long and rambling, just the meat with some interesting and relevant details. A nice intro to both artists lives, their work and their co-incidental (love-hate) relationship with each other.

Excellent
I received this beautiful book in excellent condition. I had just been to the exhibit it is based upon and I was not disappointed. The book captures the essence of their works with stellar art and photo reproductions. Next best thing to being there! I thought O'Keefe was unbelievable and then turned to the incredible black and white photography of Adams. I love color, but the almost silken quality and exquisite detail of these photos stopped me in my tracks.The affinities, mutual respect, friendship and admiration the two artists had for each other turned out to be instrumental to the continued creativity of both.

Talent by Nature
The images contained within Georgia O'Keefe and Ansel Adams: Natural Affinities are stunningly radiant - and in the literal sense, you will be physically stunned and unable to move, paralyzed by their beauty and will end up staring, fixated upon them as if the images were icons of something divine and simply looking at them would reveal to you all of the secrets of the universe.

Simply gorgeous reproductions of two of the most important artists of the twentieth century are shown, along with essays explaining them, and the dynamic between the two artists. Ansel Adams and Georgia O'Keefe's work is compared, and parallels are drawn between the two in the commentary, which is actually quite insightful.

The words, however astute and perceptive they may be (and they are), are most definitely not the highlight of the book; It, of course, is quite obvious that the resplendent paintings and photographs steal the show. O'Keefe's paintings are, somehow, simultaneously loud and soft-spoken. They jump out of the book and become people in flamboyant dress that act in such a way that they give off an aura of quiet-confidence. The universally appealing curves she employs combine with her seemingly everlasting color-palette to create deeply emotional and moving work, and her effortless and natural use of symbolism is so highly refined and subtle that it may not ever be matched.

Adams' photography is equally riveting, showing exactly why he is considered one of the most influential artists in the history of the medium. His body of work ranges from extremely intimate and personal looks into his own life, to awe-inspiring larger-than-life landscapes. His work that captures jagged, sharp, and rough forms found within nature is particularly compelling, seeing as these shapes and the emotions that they induce are not usually associated with nature.

The ironically earth-shattering work of both artists is simply fascinating. The prose included is almost as significant as the visual art, and both combine to make a non-pretentious yet supremely fantastic book - a task not easily done. An absolute necessity for any person that has functioning eyeballs, Georgia O'Keefe and Ansel Adams: Natural Affinities is one of the most significant books of a quite an expansive amount of time.

Reviewed by Jordan Dacayanan

Great Book
This is a true masterpiece of beautiful art by two of the greatest artists of our time.I am very happy with the book.Because of loose packaging the jacket was badly torn and had to be thorn away.
I love the book though.

See the show, skip the book
I just saw this show at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.The show was very well put together, except that the Ansel Adams photographs were over matted covering a slight amount of the border and Ansel's signature.

Copies of this book were available at the show and after seeing the actual art I was very disappointed in the quality of the book.The color reproductions of O'Keeffe's work were OK, but the reproductions of the photographs were just awful.The reproductions appeared flat in comparison to the photographs but also in comparison to many other better reproductions of Ansel's work.No only that but there appeared to be a lot of dust on the photographs when they were reproduced.For instance the black sky in his iconic 'Moonrise Over Hernandez New Mexico' has several dozen white spots in the sky.Other photographs suffer from this same problem.It is unfortunate since the show included a couple images I had not seen reproduced before.

The publisher of this book (Little Brown) has recently published several of Ansel's books in the past including 'Trees' and the excellent '400 photographs.'Both of these books were printed in Western Europe.For some reason (probably to save money) they decided to go with a printer in Singapore for this book, the quality unfortunately suffered. ... Read more

Product Description
This two-volume slipcased catalogue raisonn_ presents in color more than 2,000 works by Georgia O`Keeffe, an artist whose creations placed her at the center of the ferment in early twentieth-century American art. The catalogue`s paintings, drawings, watercolors, and sculpture display O`Keeffe`s innovative use of color and form and testify to her distinctive contribution to American modernism.Amazon.com Review
Georgia O'Keeffe, who was born in 1887 and lived nearly 99 years, was a prolific, successful artist whose work was exhibited continually throughout her adult life. To give an impression of the scope of this two-volume boxed set, here is a sentence from the preface by Barbara Buhler Lynes: "The catalogue reproduces and describes 2,045 objects, made by O'Keeffe between 1901 [when she was 14] and 1984." And for an idea of the care Lynes brought to her task, here is the next: "Of these, 2,029 were located and examined between June 1992 and December 1998: 821 on canvas or board; 1,137 on paper...."

Obviously, this catalog will be indispensable to many libraries and museums, but it is also a work that any lover of O'Keeffe's art will pore over for years. From the first pages of volume 1, a reader is struck by the early appearance of motifs that remained essential to O'Keeffe throughout her life: architectural forms; flowers; vases and vessels with monumental, simplified shapes. (After the early years, however, she deals with the human metaphorically, in phallic sculptures or nipple-like seed pods, or the swollen bellies of clay pots.) For those readers who may have fallen out of love a bit during the 1970s--when O'Keeffe's least works seemed to be included in every gathering of second-rate, so-called women's art--these two volumes will renew their passion. Her astonishing talent, which she never betrayed, pulses through these color-saturated pages. While most works are necessarily reproduced smaller than the originals, the book's designers have dealt thoughtfully with issues of scale by increasing the size of the reproductions as O'Keeffe's paintings became larger and printing her vast, late cloudscapes and other large works at full- or double-page size. This is typical of the sensitivity with which this catalog was conceived. --Peggy Moorman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

for a gift
I bought this item for a gift, so I can not say anything about this item. But he was satisfied.
Because he is a fan of O'keef
Thank you!

a whole view of her life's work
Well produced and comprehensive, as a whole it adds up to a devastatingly beautiful record of the life's work of the artist with accompanying text on her key influences and relationships.

Wonderful
I was not a fan of Georgia O'Keefe before checking this volume out from the library. Now, I am frankly astonished by the beauty of her work especially her watercolors which are vibrant, clean, and just beautiful. It will be an eye opener to anyone who has formed their opinions solely on her giant flower or cow skull paintings-- whether you like her or not. She was an artist that constantly explored different techniques from printmaking to sculpture. She is inspirational. If you have a library that carries the volume I encourage you to check it out first you will be pleasantly surprised. I am definitely going to purchase these books.

A Wonderful Gift
This book was on my wish list before it was published! I received it as a gift upon my graduation from Art Center College of Design. I have loved Georgia O'Keefe's work since I was very young, and I have most of the bookspublished about her and this one is not only the most comprehensive butbeautiful as well. In a review I read it was described as 'cumbersome',obviously not written by an artist. How can you reduce a life's work intoone volume especially a life that was so influential to so many artists,especialy women. I give it my highest recommendation.

Georgia O'Keeffe : Catalogue Raisonne
Beautiful - Beautiful - Beautiful I am a huge fan of Georgia O'Keeffe and this book has it all.Great color pictures.There are also many things that I learned from her throughout her life as an artist.This book is onmy coffee table and will stay there for life.I will never put it away!Amust for any Georgia O'Keeffe fans! ... Read more

Product Description
Adventures in Art

Georgia O’Keeffe: The Painter in the DesertBritta Benke

This celebration of Georgia O’Keeffe’s life and art brings the story of this iconic artist to children.

Georgia O’Keeffe’s bold and colorful depictions of the desert are easily recognizable to most adults and endlessly intriguing to the eyes of young readers. This introduction to the life and work of a quintessentially American painter is filled with details of her unique life: her choice to live alone in the desert, her fascination with the treasures she found there, and her eccentric personality. O’Keeffe’s signature paintings are intertwined with photographs of the artist at work to create a seamless narrative that links the painter’s captivating personal history to her iconic art.

Britta Benke has written extensively on Georgia O’Keeffe and develops art programs and workshops for elementary school children. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The book was badly water damaged, but the subject matter was exceptional.
The book would have been an excellent source material for ele. age students, with paintings and a simple but effective narrative to tell the life story of Georgia Okeefe.I had to discard the book because of the water damage it had before I received it.

Adventures in Art--Georgia O'Keeffe
This book is very colorful with several of O'Keeffe's paintings throughout the book.The writing is informative and interesting.It takes the reader through the timeline of O'Keefe's life.I recommend this book for art and classroom teachers.This series works for grades 1-6.

a delight
I read this while in the store, and rushed home to share it with my 6 year old. It is now one of our favorites, and I'll be buying a copy from Amazon for my god-daughter. Nice selection of work from across Ms. O'Keefe's career, appropriate selection of photos and life details.

Good quality reproductions, simple, spare layout. Very nicely done.

The author provides a brief narrative about each painting shown, and she pairs the images with photos of the artist, her husband and the landscapes that inspired the work. A glimpse of the O'Keefe magic, this book has provided many moments of quiet joy.

I can't wait to try some of the other books in this series! ... Read more

Product Description
Georgia O’Keeffe:Nature and Abstraction–published for the exhibition at Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin–explores O’Keeffe’s method of transforming known or recognizable objects into painted abstractions that express the essential elements of form, color, and allusion. This catalog presents O’Keeffe’s oeuvre through a selection of paintings that display her penchant for abstract forms derived from her personal observation of the natural world.It displays the development of her aesthetic vocabulary, as well as it’s evolution–as seen through her later work which she created well into the 1970s. Also presented are examples of O’Keeffe’s personal inspirations, such as flowers, trees, dried bones, and aerial perspectives, as well as her favorite places, such as New York City and New Mexico. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Gorgeous, glossy book of large images. You won't be disappointed!
This is a WONDERFUL book.

It measures 10"x11", hardcover. The format of the book is basically an exhibit catalogue for "Nature and Abstraction"- each full color plate (77 of them -really lovely and large) is faced by a page with brief details of the artwork.

There are about 30 pages of text/images that precede the true highlight of this book: 77 LARGE, FULL COLOR images, most of which take up the entire page they are on. There is not a lot of white space around the images, which is such a nice treat from the postage-stamp-size images in some art books. Some of the artwork featured is very famous (her flowers) and some of is is less known (some of her abstractions- so beautiful!) but it's all worth having. The pages of the book are thick and glossy, the images are in bright, vibrant color.

If you're a Georgia O'Keeffe fan, and especially interested in her use of color, line, and detail, this book is a must-have. I have several books about her and I've always wanted one that was basically JUST her art without a lot of text. This books fits that need perfectly. ... Read more

Product Description
Selected, designed, and supervised by the artist herself, this is the definitive work on Georgia O'Keeffe's work. Includes 108 full-color plates, some never reproduced elsewhere or publicly shown. Size D. (Art) ... Read more

Product Description
Presents a biography of Georgia O'Keeffe ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Terrific book
I bought all of the books in this series for our homeschool art curriculum.They are easy to read and a fun supplement that can lead to a nice trip to the Smithsonian Gallery of Art.

Amazing books for teaching kids about art
This book - along with every other one in the "Getting to Know the World's Famous Artists" series -- is a fantastic purchase all around. It puts a creative spin on the teaching of art to children and makes the artists' stories come to life in a "current" and cool way -- using graphics/cartoons, great photos of masterpieces and easy-to-understand language. My son is 8 years old and loves all of the books -- I think they are appropriate for a range of ages (4 or 5 yrs to 10 / 11 / 12 yrs.)

Fantastic!
We own over 30 of the Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists books.Georgia O'Keeffe's is one of my daughter's favorites.When she was 8 years old she used to sleep with five of the books like they were Teddy Bears because she loved them so much.They obviously have enormous appeal to children with the cartoons mixed in with the actual art, but even adults can enjoy these stories about the artists lives.

O'Keeffe's simplicity will keep the young spellbound
"Georgia often rearranged the natural things she saw, and simplified them", p. 8

The young reader will learn about O'Keeffe's young years on her family's big Wisconsin farm, her years in Texas teaching artand during her free moments painting, her years with Stieglitz in New Yorkpainting, and her years in New Mexico painting.

O'Keeffe's choice ofenlarging objects in her paintings makes this a perfect choice for youngchildren.Everything is larger than life for the young.If there isanyone who will have nearly an innate appreciation for O'Keeffe's style itwill be the young.They will readily identify her objects. Her colorchoices in her paintings are few and therefore not busy and distracting. The young reader will be drawn in by her bold and bright selection ofcolors.

Venezia's illustrations are humorous.His narrative isdelightfully entertaining.His approach brings the artist within reach ofthe young.His re-enactment of an opening at Stieglitz's gallery of newartists' paintings is precious.

The size of the book is perfectfor smaller hands.It enables the young to have art within their grasp. Venezia gives the locations of the paintings and as result if the childlives near one of the museums or will be near one on vacation, she/he wouldbe able to see the original.

This is the 15th in Venezia's"Getting to know the World's Greatest Artist" series.He alsohas similar series on composers.Venezia's back cover illustrations tieback to the subject."Like O'Keeffe, Mike searches near his home forobjects in their natural surroundings ...".

The price of the bookis well worth paying.The book contains the following:O'Keeffe'sPaintings - 18, Photos of O'Keeffe - 3,Venezia's Illustrations - 8,Others' paintings - 3. ... Read more

Product Description
"The definitive life of O'Keeffe." —Hilton Kramer, Los Angeles TimesGeorgia O'Keefe (1887?-1986) was one of the most successful American artists of the twentieth century: her arresting paintings of enormous, intimately rendered flowers, desert landscapes, and stark white cow skulls are seminal works of modern art. But behind O'Keeffe's bold work and celebrity was a woman misunderstood by even her most ardent admirers. This large, finely balanced biography offers an astonishingly honest portrayal of a life shrouded in myth. 16 pages of b/w illustrations, 32 pages of color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

From Myth to Legend
In meticulous, even painstaking detail, biographer and art critic, Hunter Drohojowska-Philp has recorded the near century of Georgia O'Keeffe's life and art. O'Keeffe (1887-1986) is known even by those who know next to nothing about art--her paintings of gargantuan flowers and bleached white bones are well-known by the general public, even those who may never step inside an art museum or gallery. Being able to identify an O'Keeffe painting, however, has no relation to understanding the artist and the influences upon her life and creativity.

Coming from a family of artists, I am far more inclined to step inside an art gallery than, say, a sports stadium, and so I knew Georgia O'Keeffe's work well. Or, at least ... I thought I did. What I knew was actually more the myth than the woman, the sales pitch rather than the art.

As with any celebrity, and Georgia certainly became that, biographies abound. One has only to determine which one might offer more truth than imagination, and in this case, I imagine the autobiography Georgia herself authored may not be the most truthful. It can be difficult to be objective about oneself, and when a woman has suffered some of the indignities that this woman suffered, the reaction can often be to sweep under the carpet some of the ugliness of life, and leave on exhibit only the beauty and the recovery from that ugly suffering.

Georgia O'Keeffe's life was not all roses. More thorn, perhaps. More a cutting down to the bone. Born in a small rural town near Madison, Wisconsin, she grew up without material advantage, making her own way in the world. Her art education began at the Art Institute of Chicago, continued in New York at the Art Students League. The discovery and subsequent exposure to the art world of her work is attributed to Alfred Stieglitz, art dealer and owner of Gallery 291 in New York. The gallery was known for being edgy and innovative, bringing to light new and abstract, groundbreaking art. Stieglitz was also a photographer, one of the firsts, breaking ground of his own. A friend of Georgia's had brought samples of her work to Stieglitz and he was thrilled at the find, remarking that at last, here was a woman who could paint, and who painted as a woman.

At that point, an important door opens in Georgia's life. Doors are an important theme in her artwork, an important metaphor--one that appears often in her paintings in synchronicity with the opening and closing of doors in her own life--and this door opened onto a relationship that affected her life and psyche deeply for a long time to come. Stieglitz, without her permission, put her artwork on exhibit in his gallery. When she stopped in and saw her work on his walls, she indignantly insisted he take it down. This exchange seemed to set a certain tone for their partnership: he was a controller; she was a young woman just finding her way, not yet in control, but struggling to find it. As the story unfolds, we see how the older man, then married, seduces Georgia into an affair, as much because he falls in love with her art as he does with her. Alas, Stieglitz, we soon learn, is a womanizer. Today, we call his sort sex addicts. Indeed, he and pal Auguste Rodin, also known as a womanizer, and whose sculptures ("The Thinker") and drawings he is first on American soil to put on exhibit, exchange pornographic drawings and photos over the years, feeding each other's seedier appetites.

The years to follow this meeting at Gallery 291 are the years of a tormented marriage. Stieglitz divorces his wife to marry Georgia, who had no interest whatsoever in marriage, but finally agrees to it--insisting she still keep her own name--more to save his reputation than her own. Stieglitz's first wife and daughter both end up handling nervous breakdowns and mental illness brought on by his treatment of his first family. Cheat once, cheat again. And again. And yet again. The marriage of Stieglitz and O'Keeffe is riddled with affairs (his), and O'Keeffe finds her time away from him of ever greater solace. Yet there it is: for all his womanizing, Stieglitz adores his wife, loves her and will not leave her. He, in fact, is the one to deal with increasing anxiety that someday she will leave him. The affairs continue, nonetheless, with most any woman he photographs in the nude (and there are many). Finally, there is the more longstanding affair with Dorothy Norman, a young woman who takes great pleasure in tormenting the older woman and wife with her victories over Stieglitz, using and manipulating his weakness against him every chance she gets. His blatant and open involvement with this mistress eventually causes Georgia to suffer a complete nervous breakdown, requiring hospitalization, while he seems to remain weirdly oblivious to how much pain he is causing her.

Projecting perhaps more what is on his mind than on Georgia's, Stieglitz promotes her work to the public as heavily sexualized. These aren't just flowers she is painting ... these are the damp petals of a woman's genitalia. A white bone standing out against the sky? He saw phallic symbols. Georgia abhorred Stieglitz's marketing of her work, yet she had to admit: it worked. It's hard to say if her paintings would have reached such a tremendous audience if it hadn't been for the manner of Stieglitz's promotions. Adding to that effect, he took hundreds of photographs of his wife, many of which were in the nude. He exhibited these, too, and without her permission. She was horrified. She had agreed to the photos as a gift of intimacy to her husband alone, in part to try to regain his wandering eye and attention. This did not work, but his photos of her did have measurable affect on her growing popularity.

Today, Georgia O'Keeffe is seen as one of the first feminists, certainly in the field of art. Increasingly leaving her husband to his ways in New York, she developed her own home and life in New Mexico, in the desert she so grew to love. From a distance, she was able to continue to love him in her own way. She learned to detach herself enough that his affairs would no longer break her. She learned to find her own style, her own artistic expression on the opposite side of the country. When Stieglitz died of a heart attack, she grieved him even while embracing her solitude, her independence, her freedom. Ghost Ranch became her permanent home, and her work had sold so well, not only in the United States, but internationally, that she had become one of the wealthiest women of her time. Her personality, molded no doubt in part by an emotionally abusive relationship, hardened into a determined control over her own world and her image. Whereas Stieglitz had taken control of her image in her beginning years, now she was free to move in a direction true to her. Dropping the Freudian allusions, she focused on vibrant color, on paintings that were an expression of emotion rather than subject. She searched for simplicity, for clean lines, for the shapes she found in nature. Her work is definitely feminine, a combination of power and grace, the soft and the hard, the straight line and the gentle curve.

In her later years, the artist was known to be eccentric at times, even prickly, not allowing just anyone into her life, even while she would later grow to trust again when she should not (a portion of the book is about a younger man, John Hamilton, who takes advantage of her in her aging years, when Georgia again needs assistance in basic daily chores, and he convinces her to leave much of her estate to him).

As detailed as this biography is, and perhaps it is too much so, it did give me a much better understanding of the woman and her art. Too long, I had bought into the marketing of Stieglitz, not realizing the artist herself resented this view of her paintings, of those great, lush flowers, beautiful for their own sake, without the attachment of metaphor. If for no other reason, I am grateful to this book's author for separating the sales pitch from the true intent of a remarkable artist. Georgia O'Keeffe accomplished the opening of a path to women artists. She stood up, and survived, and thrived, becoming an inspiration for women in abusive and stifling relationships. She showed the ability to love, if at a safe distance, even under the most callous treatment. She exhibited a woman's ability to create out of personal suffering, and from something ugly, to develop a lasting beauty. If an oyster creates pearls out of painful grit caught in its tender flesh, so, too, does Georgia O'Keeffe create her pearls, too immense to miss, too vibrant to ignore, too unique to mistake for any other.

Zinta Aistars for The Smoking Poet, Fall 2009

How On Earth Did This Get Published?
How did the writer convince anyone to publish this poor rendition of drivel?Her English is appalling, she jumps all over the time line and doesn't introduce people throughout the book. Given that I have read ever other book on Ms. O'Keefe I really think this one was a complete waste of time.

Excellent information regarding Georgia's life
Well written book and excellent research.Enjoyed very much.

Tremendous and important detail lacking in other biographies
Detailed and thoughtful, and a riveting read if you really want to understand this artist's life. After reading dozens of books and articles about O'Keeffe during the course of my own research on New York-inspired artwork, I didn't think another O'Keeffe biography was necessary. But I'm grateful I found this book. I learned so much more about this artist--about her friendships, her travels beyond New York and the Southwest, and her abstract works.

Gave me a new appreciation for O'Keeffe's art
I never really liked O'Keeffe's more abstract paintings until I read this biography.Now I can look at them with an improved understanding of what they mean and what she managed to accomplish for female artists everywhere.It's equally nice to see the artist as a person with her own foibles and nuances.The author has done a remarkable job here. ... Read more

Product Description
Besides containing photographs and recipes from Miss O'Keeffe's kitchen, the book describes in charming detail Miss O'Keeffe's outlook on food, philosophy, life, art, and the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Charming little book
Long a fan of Georgia O'Keeffe, I knew that I had to read this book.It offers an entirely different side to the artist, and a glimpse into her private life in later years. She was evidently quite as demanding and meticulous about her gardening as she was her painting.

The recipes are quite simple, mostly made from ingredients grown in her own garden or in the local area.I made the recipe for red chile enchilada sauce using red chiles from my garden.Not restaurant quality, perhaps, but still, simple and quite tasty.I'll try the green chile recipe next.

In recent economic times, more and more people are planting vegetable gardens to help save money and return to a simpler life style.They might find some ideas in this book as to how to cook those vegetables - or maybe obtain some ideas on what vegetables to plant in the first place.Again, these are very simple recipes.If you want to create elaborate, show-stopping meals, then this book (so far as recipes go) is probably not what you are looking for.

Includes several black and white photographs of the artist in her home in Abiquiu, as well as several color photos showcasing some of the recipes.

Wonderful cookbook
As others here have said, this is a very easy to follow cookbook and with a renewed focus of late on healthy eating, eating locally, and simplicity, this would make a great addition to anyone's kitchen. It's also a terrific primer for those interested in Southwestern cuisine, particularly New Mexican food. I looked for a good recipe for green chile sauce for a long time and now rely on this book for that as well as for enchiladas and others.

O'Keeffe lovers should like this book a lot
As a fan of Ms. O'Keeffe's since the seventies and even more so once the late Ansel Adams befriended our young son in the eighties, I wanted this cook book because I loved the simplicity of her art work and wanted to see if this carried over into her food choices.Am not disappointed.

Yes, many of the recipes are simple and direct like corn on the bob or kale. But the recipes for Fried Flowers (locust blossoms), Curried Chicken, Biscochitos, and Zabaglione are wonderful.Even wonder if she ever had squash blooms tempura style.

The book is a fun read as well, since the Introduction allows us to learn why she liked certain foods, disliked eating out, what she grew in her large vegetable gardens and how her kitchens were laid out and what they had in them.

Bogus reviews, one and all!
Yeah, right. Have you ever seen such bogus drivel as the fake reviews posted here by the publisher?

A very lovely cookbook full of recipes for delicious dishes.
This exciting cookbook presents a sampling of the artist's GeorgiaO'Keefe's favorites dishes.The author worked for Ms. O'Keefe for severalyears.The recipes are not complicated.I have made several of the dishesand all have been delicious! I highly recommend this book!Doug Moring ... Read more

Product Description
A celebration of the artist's familar works encompasses one hundred of her famous flower masterpieces as gathered from private collections and leading museums, and is presented in an accessible, coffee-table format. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

No satisfaction
I purchased this book to replace a copy that was stolen from the local library using my daughter's stolen library card. The price was $75, so I assumed it was a hardback, which is what the library wanted. When it came, it was a paperback with the original price marked on the back cover:$8.95. The library would not accept it and I had to pay them the replacement cost they listed: $105. I contacted the seller and he indicated that he would accept a return but not for the full price. I emailed him to ask how much he would refund and I have not heard from him since. It has been more than three months, and I am out $180. Nothing in the seller's info indicated that this was a paperback or that no refund would be given.

Not Received Yet
I have not received this book yet.I don't know why......Why did I have to rate this item with one star in order to send this review.That star in #2 is invalid.

"It's your world, for a moment"
So said O'Keefe in describing what it's like to hold a flower and really to look at it.

O'Keefe managed to convey some of that wonder in paint. She grew them to huge size, setting them at or above human scale. She drew them in scorching colors, like "Poppy" or "Oriental poppy," or in stark lights and darks ("Jimson weed" and "Black hollyhock"). She displayed them with human passion, possibly drawing parallels between a plant's organs of regeneration and a human's ("Red canna" and "Yellow sweet peas"). Whatever you see in these - and different people will see differently - they are monumental presentations of something we think of as small and delicate. By itself, that's a message: the big and the small are equals in the world, when considered at their proper scale.

Maybe it's not fair to O'Keefe's ouvre to isolate one part of it like this - she preferred to show her work with a better balance of subjects and styles. These wonderful paintings deserve attention of their own, though. Some of the paintings are up to six feet tall and seven wide - even at 12"x10", book can't capture the full drama of the work. Still, it's an amazing collection.

//wiredweird

Just too small
While the pictures are wonderful, for an aging dinosaur like myself they are just too small.It is very hard to see the pictures!

Would have given it 10 stars if it was just a larger book.Some of the flowers areonly one inch high, much too small for me to appreciate the detail.

Wherecan we find this in an 8.5 x 11 version?

A thorough and consice overview of O'Keeffe's flowers.
A picture is worth a thousand words; and one hundred pictures that happen to be O'Keeffe's are priceless.The works accurately portray the artist's keen eye for the beauty found in the smallest of mother earth's gifts: theflower. The book is an overall thorough and concise summary of the artist'smost prized achievements. ... Read more