Georgia O’Keeffe, an Artist Extraordinaire and Seamstress too, Way Ahead of Her Time

Since my mom’s passing in 2013, I have honored her anniversary by going to a special exhibit, dance performance or play that she would have enjoyed. This year was no different and visiting the Brooklyn Museum to see the Georgia O’Keeffe exhibit, “Living Modern” was a true testament to an artist who integrated her full life into everything that surrounded her. As one of the most iconic figures in American art she has always been celebrated for her early abstractions, and paintings of flowers and animal bones. Yet, she created a strong identity outside of the painting and sculpture world, with her clothing and the way she posed for the camera to shape her public persona.

Her wardrobe was a reflection of her personality as an independent woman and artist. The exhibit promoted the idea that everything that a person made or chose to live with; art, clothing and home décor, should reflect a unified and pleasing aesthetic. This appreciation for the daily life was philosophically reinforced by her study and appreciation of the arts and culture of Japan and China.

My mom was an excellent seamstress and made everything from suits to robes, curtains to doll clothes. This particular exhibit would have been of keen interest to learn that Georgia O’Keeffe did a lot of her own sewing, being frugal to reuse scraps of material, buttons and zippers, just as my mom did. Georgia O’Keeffe’s design and style reflected compact shapes, simple lines, silhouettes, and minimal ornamentation. Whether she did the sewing herself, bought things custom-made or off the rack, she created a style that was way ahead of her time.

Her color preference for black and white created a series of black suits with white linen blouses that were in many cases, the forerunner to women’s suits in the workplace in the years that followed. Living in New York City, she designed tailored suits for women, a reflection of men’s suits, with white bowed blouses, and stitching to create a crisp, business look. We saw a lot of this in the 60’s and 70’s as women made their mark in the business world. Her use of denim, wrap around dresses and wearing jeans while in New Mexico was most likely the forerunner of the Levis 501 jeans that became so popular in the 1960’s and started what I would term a ‘revolution in fashion,’ although she was not credited for that! She was the first!   Her collection of  Japanese kimono’s was also an influence in her clothing design.

Alfred Stieglitz, her husband and photographer played an important role in narrating the evolution of a striking personal style. She dressed and posed carefully for the camera which shaped and promoted her public identity and helped establish her present day status, enduring and unintentionally an icon of feminism and fashion. The exhibit, while containing many of her paintings and a few sculptures, focused on the clothing and photographs of an artist way ahead of her time.

As I think about my mom on her anniversary and  how she too was ahead of her time, a role model for feminism and equality in the workplace: she would have enjoyed this wonderful exhibit of  a true fashion icon and special artist. And so it is important to look at those that shape our lives, that lead so that things are easier for us, breaking down barriers and thinking ‘out of the box’ creating new ways of living and change to what has been. So, I guess I would classify Georgia O’Keeffe (and my mom), as change agents, leaving a legacy for us to continue to learn about ourselves and our world.  We all should look to making the world a better place for those that follow.  So what is your legacy?