MUSE
GEORGIA O’KEEFE
My favorite art teacher Eve Fortnum, introduced me to Georgia O’keeffe’s work when I was teenager. I still get an enormous amount of pleasure and inspiration from her wonderful work. From memory, the first thing to strike me was her unique use of colour, her palettes can be both soft and muted or bold and intense.
“Georgia O’Keeffe” by Alfred Stieglitz, 1929. Gelatin silver print. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, Alfred Stieglitz Collection
In her artist practice O’Keeffe’s use of scale, magnification and cropping produce a surprising abstraction. All of these elements have had a strong influence on my design process. By not being afraid to play with scale I have gained the confidence to experiment in all elements of my work.
The thought of her walking up and down the mountains of New Mexico; collecting bones and stones getting intense pleasure form nature, from the things around you, emanates strongly with how I like to design.
For me as I have always lived in a city, vintage markets and international travel destinations have provided me with my collecting opportunities. I have collections of 1940’s plates, 1930’s wallpapers, vintage stationary, each piece bought for a reason but mainly because of the initial connection, be it colour inspiration or design.
Georgia O’Keeffe’s unique and personal way of painting will always excite and inspire me.
- Heti Gervis
Many from our ‘Myriad’ SS20 Collection were inspired by Georgia O’Keefe’s palettes, artworks, personal aesthetic and lifestyle.
In particular Amy in Limoncello is a lovely floral scarf inspired by her unique ability to combine muted tones yet have the whole design sing; to create beauty in the softness. When wearing this silk scarf and tying the scarf in a number of ways; each time shows a different corner or colour or motif.
We found this article by the New Yorker interesting with visuals of O’Keefe personal items and more history of her life, and we have created a Pinterest board designated to our Muse eternal; Georgia O’Keefe.