Georgia O'Keeffe Museum: Celebrating Ten Years 1997–2007

Georgia O'Keeffe's effortless genius is easy to take for granted unless a curator or museum finds a way to make it new again. A dedicated museum in Santa Fe successfully refreshes the artist in this unexpectedly observant catalogue, edited by the museum's curator. Organized by subject—abstractions, still lifes, landscapes—the 336 color reproductions capture well the ecstasy of O'Keeffe's eye. Here is her favorite wooden door, the road to Santa Fe, a canyon. Two lavish gatefolds keep thematic work side by side. The book lets the artist's work and words speak for themselves, as the light text mainly consists of extended captions that incorporate sparky quotes from O'Keeffe's letters and interviews: “The red hill is a piece of the bad lands where even the grass is gone.... I think [it] our most beautiful country—you may not have seen it, so you want me always to paint flowers.” While the book contains its fair share of O'Keeffe flowers, it gives full credit to her red hill and her unique ability to see movement and light in a rock, a flagpole or even a favorite doorway. Essential for fans, the book also makes for a handsome introduction to the artist's brilliance. (May)