Eye of Modernism
This exhibition was held in 2001, in honor of the opening of the Georgia O'Keeffe Research Center.
The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum is dedicated to perpetuating the artistic legacy of Georgia O'Keeffe and to the study of American Modernism (late nineteenth century – present). "Eye of Modernism" purpose was to illuminate O'Keeffe's position in the art of her time by suggesting the context in which she worked. Because O'Keeffe's work is difficult to compartmentalize stylistically, she is most often described as an "American Modernist." That generic term is broadly applied to many of the most forward-looking artists working in this country in the 20th century, especially in the century's first half.
"Eye of Modernism" was not intended to be an exhaustive survey of 20th-century American art but, rather, an intimate look at a range of ideas that have defined the avant-garde in this country from the last decade of the 19th century. Because such ideas are often most apparent in works in which the hand of the artist is clear, the exhibition was made up entirely of works on paper.
The exhibition included 65 works by 50 different painters and sculptors whose careers, to one degree or another, overlapped O'Keeffe's and whose work continues to shape thinking about their time. There were 31 drawings in a variety of mediums, including chalk, charcoal, crayon, graphite, and ink. In addition, there were 3 works in acrylic, 1 in casein, 4 in gouache, 2 in mixed media, 2 in oil, 7 in pastel, and 11 in watercolor. Finally, 3 of the works were lithographs, and there was 1 collage.
Twenty-nine works in the exhibition came from the collection of the Milwaukee Art Museum, known for its outstanding collection of works on paper by American artists. Twenty-six were loaned by galleries and private collectors, and 10 are from the collection of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. The Museum wishes to thank lenders to the exhibition for their kind generosity and to thank James Kelly of James Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe, for his assistance in locating important works.
"Eye of Modernism," was organized specifically to coordinate with the keenly anticipated opening of the Museum's Research Center in the summer of 2001. The Research Center is the first museum-affiliated study facility in the country dedicated to the examination of American Modernism, and the nature of advanced art made in this country during the last century will be addressed during the Center's opening symposium, "Defining American Modernism," July 12-14. This event brought distinguished scholars from all over the country to Santa Fe.
"Eye of Modernism" documents many of the most advanced visual ideas expressed by American artists from roughly 1890 to the present. As such, it provided a context for the debate that the Research Center's inaugural symposium promoted as well as set the stage for the important research the Center continues to sponsor in its effort to explore both the meaning and importance of "modernism" in American art and culture.
The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum is dedicated to perpetuating the artistic legacy of Georgia O'Keeffe and to the study of American Modernism (late nineteenth century – present). "Eye of Modernism" purpose was to illuminate O'Keeffe's position in the art of her time by suggesting the context in which she worked. Because O'Keeffe's work is difficult to compartmentalize stylistically, she is most often described as an "American Modernist." That generic term is broadly applied to many of the most forward-looking artists working in this country in the 20th century, especially in the century's first half.
"Eye of Modernism" was not intended to be an exhaustive survey of 20th-century American art but, rather, an intimate look at a range of ideas that have defined the avant-garde in this country from the last decade of the 19th century. Because such ideas are often most apparent in works in which the hand of the artist is clear, the exhibition was made up entirely of works on paper.
The exhibition included 65 works by 50 different painters and sculptors whose careers, to one degree or another, overlapped O'Keeffe's and whose work continues to shape thinking about their time. There were 31 drawings in a variety of mediums, including chalk, charcoal, crayon, graphite, and ink. In addition, there were 3 works in acrylic, 1 in casein, 4 in gouache, 2 in mixed media, 2 in oil, 7 in pastel, and 11 in watercolor. Finally, 3 of the works were lithographs, and there was 1 collage.
Twenty-nine works in the exhibition came from the collection of the Milwaukee Art Museum, known for its outstanding collection of works on paper by American artists. Twenty-six were loaned by galleries and private collectors, and 10 are from the collection of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. The Museum wishes to thank lenders to the exhibition for their kind generosity and to thank James Kelly of James Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe, for his assistance in locating important works.
"Eye of Modernism," was organized specifically to coordinate with the keenly anticipated opening of the Museum's Research Center in the summer of 2001. The Research Center is the first museum-affiliated study facility in the country dedicated to the examination of American Modernism, and the nature of advanced art made in this country during the last century will be addressed during the Center's opening symposium, "Defining American Modernism," July 12-14. This event brought distinguished scholars from all over the country to Santa Fe.
"Eye of Modernism" documents many of the most advanced visual ideas expressed by American artists from roughly 1890 to the present. As such, it provided a context for the debate that the Research Center's inaugural symposium promoted as well as set the stage for the important research the Center continues to sponsor in its effort to explore both the meaning and importance of "modernism" in American art and culture.
Modernists in New Mexico: Works from a Private Collector
This exhibition was shown at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum from February 13 – May 10, 2009. Curator: Alan Braddock, Associate Curator, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
In 1916, the painter Robert Henri left New York for the first of three visits to Santa Fe in search of new artistic inspiration. He did so at a pivotal moment in the early history of American Modernism, during the Great War and amid the aftermath of the sensational Armory Show in New York, when many of his compatriots were responding inventively to the aesthetic challenge posed by the European avant-garde. Captivated by the beautiful, unfamiliar western places and peoples of New Mexico, Henri encouraged two close friends and colleagues – George Bellows and John Sloan – to follow his lead. Before long, many American Modernists trekked to New Mexico as well, including Marsden Hartley, John Marin, Stuart Davis, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Edward Hopper. Some visited only once or stayed for just a short time while others (notably O’Keeffe and Sloan) became long-time residents; for all these American Modernists, though, visiting and picturing New Mexico became an artistic rite of passage of sorts – a catalyst for aesthetic reinvention.
This exhibition from the collection of an anonymous New Mexico collector provides an excellent selection of American Modernist visions of New Mexico during the first half of the twentieth-century. Since he moved to Santa Fe eleven years ago and saw one of John Marin’s New Mexico pictures at a local gallery, the owner of this collection has passionately pursued his love of American Modernism by collecting works that creatively engage the area’s distinctive environments, landmarks, and residents while also participating in an emerging international artistic movement. The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum is delighted to be able to exhibit this superb selection, which demonstrates the richly productive encounter between some of America’s most innovative twentieth-century painters and one of their favorite sources of inspiration.
In 1916, the painter Robert Henri left New York for the first of three visits to Santa Fe in search of new artistic inspiration. He did so at a pivotal moment in the early history of American Modernism, during the Great War and amid the aftermath of the sensational Armory Show in New York, when many of his compatriots were responding inventively to the aesthetic challenge posed by the European avant-garde. Captivated by the beautiful, unfamiliar western places and peoples of New Mexico, Henri encouraged two close friends and colleagues – George Bellows and John Sloan – to follow his lead. Before long, many American Modernists trekked to New Mexico as well, including Marsden Hartley, John Marin, Stuart Davis, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Edward Hopper. Some visited only once or stayed for just a short time while others (notably O’Keeffe and Sloan) became long-time residents; for all these American Modernists, though, visiting and picturing New Mexico became an artistic rite of passage of sorts – a catalyst for aesthetic reinvention.
This exhibition from the collection of an anonymous New Mexico collector provides an excellent selection of American Modernist visions of New Mexico during the first half of the twentieth-century. Since he moved to Santa Fe eleven years ago and saw one of John Marin’s New Mexico pictures at a local gallery, the owner of this collection has passionately pursued his love of American Modernism by collecting works that creatively engage the area’s distinctive environments, landmarks, and residents while also participating in an emerging international artistic movement. The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum is delighted to be able to exhibit this superb selection, which demonstrates the richly productive encounter between some of America’s most innovative twentieth-century painters and one of their favorite sources of inspiration.
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