Sky Above the Clouds II 1963

Editor: Here we have Georgia O’Keeffe’s "Sky Above the Clouds II" created in 1963, employing watercolor to capture this expansive vista. The repetition of cloud shapes is quite striking; they stretch endlessly, creating this feeling of boundless space. What’s your take on a work like this, what does it communicate in its historical context? Curator: Well, O’Keeffe was working at a time when Abstract Expressionism was dominated by men and associated with heroic, large-scale gestures. What is radical here, from a historical perspective, is O'Keeffe’s assertion of the monumental through the repetitive, almost meditative depiction of these soft forms, challenging the macho aesthetic. It suggests a different kind of sublime, more akin to landscape, experienced passively, while soaring. Do you see any relationship between the presentation of clouds and landscape painting of her period? Editor: That’s interesting, because at first glance, it seems almost detached from reality. But the repetition creates an atmosphere of meditative space. This monumental yet minimal depiction reminds me of some earlier sublime landscape paintings of artists such as Turner or Church, but those have a much grander narrative and almost no abstraction. Curator: Exactly. Consider how O’Keeffe reframes the American landscape tradition. How can we read her choice of rendering clouds within a long established practice of depicting the 'sublime'? Editor: So, instead of conveying this powerful presence through a storm or mountain, she finds that same grandeur and impact by portraying an aerial perspective of something delicate and usually formless – clouds. I hadn't considered how much context shifts our perception! Curator: Precisely. Thinking about how artists like O’Keeffe reinterpreted traditional genres helps us understand how art evolves, and how perceptions and aesthetics change over time. Editor: That’s a really helpful lens to examine art and its place in society. Thank you!