The Flag represented not just the usually apolitical artist's political beliefs, but her fear, anxiety, and depression, emotions which mirrored those of the country at large.
I majored in painting in school, and studied a fair bit of art history, but this O'Keefe painting is new to me, and I like it very much. I also tend to agree with your analysis, and can only imagine her tensions that went into this work.
Thanks! I didn't know this work until I started really digging into her depression history for my book and mentions of it emerged. This is one of the things I like about having a specific lens as I do - it points my attention to things I wouldn't otherwise have noticed.
Who are some other artists where you have "bonus sections" that didn't make the cut you'd like to share? I can think of a few painters I'd really love to see dives into.
Well, Basquiat and Miro come to mind for probably obvious reasons, so those are pretty exciting! I'm not sure what kind of mental illness Orozco dealt with, but he is my favorite muralist, and he painted a bunch of pretty dark stuff. Similarly, it's never boring to read about Van Gogh, probably because of the physical manifestation there.
I bet some renaissance painters dealt with mental illness, but of course the further back you go, the tougher.
Van Gogh is both the easiest and toughest of them all because SOOOO much has been explored about his mental health. Definitely tougher in some ways when you go back in time but also depending on the era sometimes there's rich stuff in there because of time spent in asylums that's been documented in ways that inpatient care may not always be with more contemporary artists. Durer is one from long ago I've written a little about. Caravaggio is on my list to explore further. I'll add Orozco in there too!
Yay! I love it. Have I already mentioned Nick Blinko to you? He is a contemporary artist who spent time in a mental institution after an attempted suicide some time in the late 70s or early 80s. He fictionalized this for his book "Primal Screamer", and he has made a ton of great horror vacqui/naive art.
Thank you Kathryn. Your post captures the essence of how personal struggles, like depression and anxiety, can be intertwined with broader societal issues. It's a poignant reminder of the power of art to reflect and transcend our collective experiences.
I majored in painting in school, and studied a fair bit of art history, but this O'Keefe painting is new to me, and I like it very much. I also tend to agree with your analysis, and can only imagine her tensions that went into this work.
Thanks! I didn't know this work until I started really digging into her depression history for my book and mentions of it emerged. This is one of the things I like about having a specific lens as I do - it points my attention to things I wouldn't otherwise have noticed.
Who are some other artists where you have "bonus sections" that didn't make the cut you'd like to share? I can think of a few painters I'd really love to see dives into.
Joan Miro, Alice Neel, Mark Rothko, Sam Gilliam, Basquiat ... I'll be rolling those out eventually here on the site.
Who are some other artists you'd love deep dives into? I'm always adding to my list.
Well, Basquiat and Miro come to mind for probably obvious reasons, so those are pretty exciting! I'm not sure what kind of mental illness Orozco dealt with, but he is my favorite muralist, and he painted a bunch of pretty dark stuff. Similarly, it's never boring to read about Van Gogh, probably because of the physical manifestation there.
I bet some renaissance painters dealt with mental illness, but of course the further back you go, the tougher.
Van Gogh is both the easiest and toughest of them all because SOOOO much has been explored about his mental health. Definitely tougher in some ways when you go back in time but also depending on the era sometimes there's rich stuff in there because of time spent in asylums that's been documented in ways that inpatient care may not always be with more contemporary artists. Durer is one from long ago I've written a little about. Caravaggio is on my list to explore further. I'll add Orozco in there too!
Yay! I love it. Have I already mentioned Nick Blinko to you? He is a contemporary artist who spent time in a mental institution after an attempted suicide some time in the late 70s or early 80s. He fictionalized this for his book "Primal Screamer", and he has made a ton of great horror vacqui/naive art.
Thanks, Kathryn. Such an informative essay and you’ve inspired me to spend some time reading more about her this weekend.
Oh wonderful! Her work and life are both so interesting for me.
Thank you Kathryn. Your post captures the essence of how personal struggles, like depression and anxiety, can be intertwined with broader societal issues. It's a poignant reminder of the power of art to reflect and transcend our collective experiences.
Yes, exactly that!! Thanks for reading.