concepts such as cropping and close ups allowing for surprises in scale and abstraction of form. O’Keeffe applied broad areas of even color, simplifying natural forms and foregoing shading or other means of three-dimensional representation with a softness and sensuality. Her intimate, emotionally charged landscape scenes combine influences from the modern art she saw in New York with the unique culture and scenery of the southwest. O’Keeffe often described the desert landscape of the southwest as a sentient being, writing of one painting from this series that it represented hills reaching out to the sky “two and holding it.” She also wrote, cannot be an American by going “One about saying that one is an American. It is necessary to feel America, like America, love America and then work.” IDEAS In the 20th century many American artists began to explore concepts of modernism and abstraction. Technological advances also encouraged artists to make innovative adaptations in painting. Sam Francis served as a pilot in World War II, and discovered painting during a long recovery from a severe spinal injury he received during the war. After studying painting in Paris and Japan in the 1950s, Francis developed his signature or center” “open” “empty painting style that explores the contrast between positive and negative space and confronts the viewer with broad areas of white. Influenced by the Zen Buddhism’s concept of infinite space, Francis began painting only around the edges of his canvases, leaving broad expanses of pure white color running down their center. This imparts paintings like White Line I with an astonishing level of depth and dimensionality that makes them seem almost sculptural, as if they might open out into real space. Francis was one of the first post-war American artists to develop a truly international reputation, exhibiting his work in both Europe and throughout Asia as early as early as the 1960s.
concepts such as cropping and close ups allowing for surprises in scale and abstraction of form. O’Keeffe applied broad areas of even color, simplifying natural forms and foregoing shading or other means of three-dimensional representation with a softness and sensuality. Her intimate, emotionally charged landscape scenes combine influences from the modern art she saw in New York with the unique culture and scenery of the southwest. O’Keeffe often described the desert landscape of the southwest as a sentient being, writing of one painting from this series that it represented “two hills reaching out to the sky and holding it.” She also wrote, “One cannot be an American by going about saying that one is an American. It is necessary to feel America, like America, love America and then work.” IDEAS In the 20th century many American artists began to explore concepts of modernism and abstraction. Technological advances also encouraged artists to make innovative adaptations in painting. Sam Francis served as a pilot in World War II, and discovered painting during a long recovery from a severe spinal injury he received during the war. After studying painting in Paris and Japan in the 1950s, Francis developed his signature “open” or “empty center” painting style that explores the contrast between positive and negative space and confronts the viewer with broad areas of white. Influenced by the Zen Buddhism’s concept of infinite space, Francis began painting only around the edges of his canvases, leaving broad expanses of pure white color running down their center. This imparts paintings like White Line I with an astonishing level of depth and dimensionality that makes them seem almost sculptural, as if they might open out into real space. Francis was one of the first post-war American artists to develop a truly international reputation, exhibiting his work in both Europe and throughout Asia as early as early as the 1960s.