Blue Line 1919

"Blue Line", created in 1919 with oil paint, is an example of Georgia O’Keeffe’s exploration into abstraction. Painted in the wake of the 1910s American feminist movement, it has become one of her most enduring and hotly debated works. Does the centralized blue cleft running through the composition speak to the sensual and the feminine, or is it simply a non-objective work playing with pure form? During her lifetime, O'Keeffe pushed against the frequent interpretation of her work as explicitly female or sexual, but also said “...the line of blue…just came and became a thing…” This push and pull between intent and interpretation invites an interrogation of gender, artistic expression, and identity, especially when viewed from today’s more gender-expansive perspectives. This artwork invites an emotional dialogue which transcends simple representation and connects with our embodied understanding. In this way it refuses to uphold conventional portrayals and engages with contemporary narratives.