Sky above clouds III 1963

Curator: Georgia O'Keeffe's "Sky Above Clouds III," created in 1963, presents us with an expansive vista of, well, sky above clouds. It’s executed with acrylic paint, showcasing her later engagement with this medium. What's your first impression? Editor: An uncanny calm. An ocean of endless repetition broken by an infinite expanse. It suggests to me a certain flattening of lived experience, a world made abstract by its sheer scale. I almost feel small, like a tiny cog in a giant, indifferent machine. Curator: Indifferent? That’s fascinating. I see something quite different. For me, the clouds, simplified as they are, hold a more universal symbol of hope. Think of clouds in various spiritual traditions—ascending beyond the earthly plane, connection with the divine. Don’t you think? Editor: I see your point about spiritual traditions, but that flattening can also mirror systemic oppression. By divorcing form from the potential dynamism of individual existence, isn't O’Keefe commenting on the pervasive sense of conformity and control in postwar America? Or am I projecting? Curator: Not necessarily projecting, but interpreting through a very specific lens. While those interpretations certainly resonate today, O’Keeffe often rejected overly prescriptive readings of her work. But maybe the symbolic power here resides precisely in this tension, this simultaneous suggestion of both boundlessness and conformity. Editor: Agreed. I find it compelling that something so apparently serene and detached can still elicit such active disagreement. The work operates precisely because it withholds definitive meaning. It presents a mirror that compels viewers to project. It's a Rorschach test with clouds! Curator: Indeed. "Sky Above Clouds III" functions like a cultural touchstone. Its emotional impact isn’t dictated, but collaboratively created in this conversation between artwork and observer. A collaborative and generative potential lies within abstraction itself. Editor: So ultimately, whether sublime or unsettling, the impact lives in its continued ability to incite our critical and emotional response across the decades.