JOAN DIDION essay

Georgia O’Keefe Essay

By Joan Didion

Page 165

1. In these first two paragraphs, Didion tried to do two things—to describe Georgia O’Keefe as an artist but to also, separately describe her artwork. The author touches on the difficulties of viewing art and remaining objective. Also, she notes that, even though her daughter has fallen in love with the airy, expansive depiction of a perfect sky, the artist should not be identified with the emotions found in the art. Didion explains that O’Keefe was a “hard” woman—not necessarily a happy-go-lucky, nature loving type that one might assume when viewing her art. Furthermore, the author says that there is a conflict between the images of O’Keefe and the work she produces.

2. In her essay, I feel that Didion uses O’Keefe’s art to forge a bridge between O’Keefe and the men. The “men” are seen as the ones who harass her and tell her she cannot be an artist. They are the ones who set the standards and barriers that O’Keefe consistently tears down by means of her art. Her art acts as the bridge between the two and acts as proof that she can paint just as they say is impossible.

3. Didion gives substance to her claims by juxtaposing the men and O’Keefe. The men serve as the goal that O’Keefe strives for. She strives to complete the tasks that they deem impractical. The quote about the flowers that she paints shows that O’Keefe does not want people to interpret her flowers as their own idea of flowers. She wants to be independent in style as well as thought.

4. Annotated in text

1.  Didion uses very concise and direct sentences to talk about the early life of Georgia O’Keefe. She also uses repetition, which helps the reader to read quickly through the passage, evoking a sense of rhetorical movement and implying a fast pace. She beings most sentences with “at fill-in-the-blank location or age”.

2. The last paragraph about O’Keefe in Texas tells us that she was certain of what she wanted. She wanted to live in Texas because there, “no one could tell her how not to paint” (164). Also, the idea of her “walking away from the town” symbolizes her aversion to the men of New York. The vast, open landscape of Texas is directly contrasted with the hustle and bustle of New York City.

3.            Dear Georgia,

I respect your statement that claims that when people view your images of flowers, they include their own associations of flowers. And I agree with you that it is unfair, from an artists’ standpoint, to assume certain notions about a piece of art because the viewer already has certain personal opinions. But, I must admit that I find it very difficult to view art with a totally unbiased, free of our own associations approach. I think that we interact with so many different subjects and experiences that our mind can never truly lack our own associations. I think people should strive to do what you encourage—people should strive to see a piece of art as it really is, but I do not think it is possible for someone without training.

Tell Alfred hello.

Sincerely,

Anna