Georgia O’Keeffe: American Icon

Passing away in 1986 at the age of 98, Georgia O'Keeffe experienced the major artistic movements of the 20th century. The retrospective at the Centre Pompidou, Georgia O'Keeffe: American Icon, offers a comprehensive look at the life and work of this iconic painter, who remains relatively unknown in France.

A distinctive figure in modern art and the first major American female artist, O'Keeffe was both a pioneer and a champion of artistic and feminist liberation. She also, in her own unique way, advocated for the preservation of nature and an alternative "way of life."

Genre en anglaisArt Written byDidier Ottinger et Sylvain BergèreDirected by Sylvain BergèreMontagePhilippe BaillonSoundBenoît CanuNarrationGouery BrunoIn coproduction with Centre PompidouIn association with France TélévisionsSupported by CNC Broadcasted by France 5Distributed by Artline Films Year2021Duration52min

For the first time in France, the Centre Pompidou is hosting a major retrospective dedicated to the American painter Georgia O’Keeffe. Curator Didier Ottinger and filmmaker Sylvain Bergère guide us through the life and work of this revolutionary artist. The duo previously led us in exploring the hidden meanings in Magritte’s paintings (France 5, 2016). Now, they recount the story of an extraordinary woman whose journey and personality are marked by a relentless quest for freedom.

Introduced to the art world by gallerist and photographer Alfred Stieglitz, O’Keeffe became his muse, wife, and the most sought-after painter. Yet, she fiercely maintained her independence by leaving New York—and her mentor—to move to New Mexico. While her oversized flowers, with their more or less explicit sexual connotations, established her reputation, she rejected the aesthetic conventions that might confine her. As a modernist painter oscillating between abstraction and figuration, she drew inspiration from both New York’s skyscrapers and the vast desert, where she spent the latter part of her life.

Reflecting its subject, this film is much more than a simple documentary about art. It intersects with numerous themes that were major issues of the last century and resonate today more than ever. It offers the French public a chance to discover the first major female artist of the 20th century.

Georgia O'Keeffe White &Blue Flower Shapes 1919

Georgia O'Keeffe Lake George Artline Films

Georgia O’Keeffe: American Icon

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