Grey Hills 1941

Georgia O'Keeffe made Grey Hills, probably with oil on canvas, and it is all about process, isn't it? The way she builds up those colours, layer after layer. Look at the surface – it's so smooth, almost like velvet, but you can still feel the earthiness of the landscape. Those muted greys and browns, punctuated by flashes of warm orange and red, they create this sense of depth and texture. Take that central mound, with its layers of colour – it's like O'Keeffe is revealing the geological history of the land, each stratum telling a story. There are no hard lines here, just soft, undulating forms that blend into each other. It's almost like the landscape is breathing, alive. I can't help but think of Agnes Martin and her quiet, meditative canvases. Like Martin, O'Keeffe invites us to slow down, to contemplate the subtle nuances of colour and form. And, as with all great art, there's a sense of ambiguity here, a space for us to project our own experiences and emotions onto the canvas.