At first glance, this painting may appear to be an impossible, abstract image.

畫布浸在日落的色彩當中， 像火焰般放射光芒的顏色。

But a closer look reveals the tender stems,

第一眼看來，這幅畫似乎是 不真實的抽象影像。

lush petals and velvety texture of a Canna Lily.

但再近一點看， 會發現美人蕉的嫩莖、

This metamorphosis of natural subjects into abstract geometry

繁茂的瓣，及天鵝絨般的質感。

is commonplace in the work of Georgia O'Keeffe—

這種將大自然題材 轉換為抽象幾何的質變，

the revolutionary American painter and sculptor.

在喬治亞·歐姬芙的 作品中非常見到——

But the magic behind this transformation remains

她是位革命性的 美國畫家和雕塑家。

just as elusive as the artist herself.

但，這種轉換背後的魔力仍然

Born in Wisconsin in 1887, O'Keeffe spent her childhood plucking wildflowers

和這位藝術家本人一樣難以捉摸。

and arranging fruits to paint.

歐姬芙於 1887 年在威斯康辛出生，

At seventeen, she moved to Chicago to study at the prestigious Art Institute.

童年時常摘野花 和擺放水果，供畫畫用。

Her teachers trained her to faithfully reproduce reality

十七歲時，她搬到芝加哥， 到著名的藝術學院進修。

in the conventions of European masters.

她的老師訓練她

Although she enjoyed the solitude and precision of this work,

按照歐洲大師的慣例 忠實地再現現實。

O'Keeffe felt little personal connection to it.

雖然歐姬芙很享受 這份工作的孤獨和精準，

After moving to New York, she was increasingly drawn to the clean lines,

但她卻幾乎感受不到 個人化的連結。

striking composition and vivid colors of Japanese art.

在搬到紐約之後，

O'Keeffe soon found a teacher whose lessons inspired her

她越來越喜歡日本藝術的清晰線條、

to put those interests into practice.

令人注目的構圖，及生動的顏色。

Unlike her previous teachers,

歐姬芙很快就找到了一位老師， 鼓勵她將那些興趣化為實做。

Arthur Wesley Dow urged his students to focus on more abstract representations

跟她以前的老師不同，

of light, shape, and color.

亞瑟·衛斯理·道 鼓勵學生把焦點放在

These lessons manifested in O'Keeffe's first series of abstract drawings.

將光線、形狀、顏色 做更抽象的呈現。

Rendered in charcoal, they present a series of undulating lines,

這些課程化為歐姬芙的 第一個抽象畫系列。

bold shading and billowing clouds.

這些作品用木炭繪製， 呈現出一系列起伏線、

These drawings defy easy classification—

大膽的明暗，以及波狀雲。

suggesting, but never quite matching, any specific natural reference.

這些繪畫公然挑戰 簡單的分類——

Earlier European painters in the Cubist tradition

它們有所暗示，卻始終沒有 完全符合任何特定的大自然景物。

had employed rigid geometry to abstract external subjects.

早期的歐洲立體派畫家

But here, O'Keeffe employed the shapes and rhythms of nature

會把死板的幾何用在 抽象的外在主題上。

to capture her internal feelings.

但在這裡，歐姬芙採用 大自然的形狀和節奏

Experiments like these would soon become a cornerstone

來捕捉她的內在感受。

of an artistic movement called American Modernism.

這種實驗很快就變成了

Although no single style defines Modernist painting,

「美國現代主義」 這項藝術運動的基石。

its proponents shared a desire to challenge the realist traditions

雖然現代主義的畫作 無法用單一風格來定義，

that dominated art education.

但現代主義的倡導者都渴望挑戰

Beginning in the late 1910's, Modernist painting

主導藝術教育的真實主義傳統。

often used geometric shapes and bold colors

從 1910 年代末期開始，

to probe the American psyche.

現代主義的畫作就經常使用

O'Keeffe threw herself into these experiments —

幾何形狀和大膽的顏色，

but she was reluctant to share her new work.

來探究美國人的精神。

However, when a friend sent her charcoals to the art dealer Alfred Stieglitz,

歐姬芙自己投身到這些實驗中——

he became entranced.

但她並不願意分享她新作。

In 1916, he arranged for a grand exhibition in New York.

然而一位朋友將她的木炭畫寄給 藝術商人阿爾弗雷德·史蒂格利茲，

This marked the beginning of O'Keeffe's career as a popular artist—

他便深深著迷。

and a relationship that would lead to marriage in 1924.

1916 年，他在紐約 安排了一場盛大的展覽。

Marriage didn't diminish O'Keeffe's taste for solitude.

歐姬芙變成知名藝術家的 職涯就此展開——

She travelled widely to teach,

此時的一段關係， 也讓她在 1924 年結婚。

and often retreated to paint for months at a time.

婚姻並沒有削減歐姬芙 喜愛孤獨的偏好。

Whether she was exploring the craggy canyons of Texas,

她四處旅行去教學，

the quiet forests of South Carolina, or the sun-bleached desert of New Mexico,

且常常閉關隱居作畫， 一次就是好幾個月。

her creative process was based on ritual and close observation.

不論她在探索的是德州的崎嶇峽谷、

She paid meticulous attention to small details,

南卡羅萊納州的安靜森林，

and spent hours mixing paints to create exactly the right colors.

或新墨西哥烈日高照的沙漠，

When she found the perfect hue, she'd record it

她的創作過程都立基在 儀式和仔細的觀察上。

in her ever-growing collection of handmade color cards.

她非常注意小細節，

O'Keeffe also experimented with perspective to celebrate objects

且會花數小時的時間 只為了混合出對的顏色。

that were often overlooked.

當她找到完美的顏色， 她便會用她的手工色卡

In "Rams Head with Hollyhock,"

將之記錄下來，色卡越累積越多。

she places a weathered skull and a delicate flower

歐姬芙也實驗嘗試

high above the hills below.

去讚頌通常被忽略的物體。

This massive skull overshadows the landscape,

在「公羊頭與蜀葵」中，

casting both the skeleton and the mountains in a new, eerie light.

底下是山丘，她還放了 一個已風乾的頭骨

The public was captivated by her unique perspective and secretive behavior.

及一朵精緻的花在山丘上方高處。

She was particularly praised for her massive flower paintings,

這個巨大的頭骨遮蔽了風景，

ranging from fiery poppies to ghostly calla lillies.

用新奇怪異的光線投射骷髏和山脈。

Stieglitz and other critics of the time were infatuated by Freudian psychology,

她的獨特觀點和神祕行為 讓大眾很著迷。

and were quick to link these paintings to female genitalia.

她特別受到讚揚的作品， 是數量很多的花朵畫作，

But O'Keeffe dismissed such interpretations.

範圍從烈火般的罌粟花 到幽靈般的海芋都有。

She resented the male gaze that dominated the art world,

史蒂格利茲和其他當時的評論家 沉迷於佛洛依德的心理學，

and demanded her work be respected

很快就把這些畫作 和女性生殖器拉上連結。

for its emotional evocation of the natural world.

但歐姬芙不同意這種詮釋。

Eventually, O'Keeffe settled down in New Mexico,

她憎惡藝術圈 都是由男性目光來主導，

near one of her favorite artist retreats.

並要求大家尊重她作品的特色：

In her 70's, her eyesight began to fail,

讓觀眾在情緒上聯想到大自然。

but she continued to mine the landscape's mysteries in new, tactile mediums.

最終，歐姬芙在新墨西哥定居，

O'Keeffe kept creating until her death at 98,

很接近她最愛的隱居地之一。

and is remembered as the “Mother of American Modernism.”

七十多歲時，她的視力 開始漸漸不行了，

Decades on, her work retains its wild energy—

但她用有觸感的新媒材 持續發掘風景的神秘之處。

and O'Keeffe her personal mystique.

在九十八歲辭世之前， 歐姬芙都不斷創作，