If there was ever a period in time that I could travel back to (and then jet around the world in) it would be the early 1900′s. From the late 1880′s to around 1940 it was such a fantastic period in art where a lot of the experimentation, the breaking from tradition all took place. Alongside such fabulous artists such as Van Gogh and Picasso, Art Nouveau was arising from the works of Gustav Klimt and Gaudi, and Europe was changing shape and form. Oh to be in Paris then! In the US photographers Alfred Steiglitz and Ansel Adams were making huge inroads to the work of nature photography, Steiglitz also opening one of the few galleries in New York that initially showed the fascinating work of the Cubists and the Impressionists that was coming out of Europe. Georgia O’Keeffe was married to Steiglitz at this time, albeit a tumultuous marriage as many of them seemed to be – creative genius seems to resonate with infidelity, and turmoil.
Part of my post TEAS exam recuperation this weekend was to watch a movie about the life of Georgia O’Keeffe, her relationship with Steiglitz and friendship with Ansel Adams. My husband bought me a book about O’Keeffe and Adams for Christmas, and I was inspired enough to reread it this weekend. I am (when I get the time) a happy and relatively talented photographer myself, and an artist as well, although the creative space needed for me to really unwind and paint doesn’t happen all that often. Watching Georgia O’Keeffe, out in Taos, New Mexico, standing in the wide open desert spaces, looking at the light, the colours and the contrasts, and melding those with her brush on canvas made me yearn for the wide open spaces of Ecuador where I found my creative outlets. Being creative is vital for me, for my personal space and growth. I find too long a period without letting my inner world come out can have all sorts of physical repercussions – I often get sick or very pent-up, very stressed if my world is not in balance. I need to be able to design, create or make something – drawing, painting, making jewellery or writing to keep myself in harmony with the world outside. Georgia O’Keeffe and many of the other artists of that time were exactly the same way. She left New York for the peace and serenity that the Taos desert gave her, offering her a creative outlet. I am post – TEAS and looking forward to doing the same. Maybe just for a day or two – but I will head up to New York this week, giving myself the opportunity to see the ‘Big Apple’ through the lens of my camera. Life has to be more than just work and study – right?
