Georgia O Keeffe Quotes

Poor Georgia O’Keeffe. Death didn’t soften the opinions of the art world toward her paintings.

A historic, in-depth study of what it means to risk one’s life to be an artist. It is also a depiction of sexual confusions, ironic outrage and rage, and the shedding of society’s armor to create a female knight in pursuit of a vision. Georgia O’Keeffe is the one woman who was there first in the world of art.

I don’t need to be married to Georgia O’Keeffe or Lillian Hellman, but I like being with a woman I can look up to.

I was only loosely aware of [Georgia] O’Keeffe’s work. Primarily, I had seen her famous paintings of skulls with flowers, which are not my favorite. I didn’t really become familiar with her work until after I started writing the book, but the more I learned about her the more I admired her.

Now I am as big of an [ Georgia] O’Keeffe admirer as Ivy [Wilkes] is, but that came through writing the book.

Women who stay true to themselves are always more interesting and beautiful to me: women like Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keeffe and Anna Magnani – women who have style, chic, allure and elegance. They didn’t submit to any standard of beauty – they defined it.

Because Ivy [Wilkes] is just starting out as an artist, I wanted to focus on [Georgia] O’Keeffe’s experiences when she was just starting out. I suspect there is a difference between being an unknown artist and being a celebrated artist. When nobody knows your work, nobody except you really cares whether or not you paint.

I read letters and journal entries by [Georgia] O’Keeffe (which were infinitely more useful than any critical analysis of her work).

I am tired of the cult of youth. The cultural rejection of old age, the stigmatization of wrinkles, grey hair, of bodies furrowed by the years. I am fascinated by Diana Vreeland, Georgia O’Keeffe and Louise Bourgeois, women who have let time embrace them without ever cheating. Society today condemns this, me, I celebrate it.

I hope to work through disappointment and frustration with as much grace as [Georgia] O’Keeffe did, and I hope to have the same confidence in my own vision.