Red Canna (paintings)

Red Canna
ArtistGeorgia O'Keeffe
Year1924
MediumOil
Dimensions73.7 cm × 45.7 cm (29.0 in × 18.0 in)

Georgia O'Keeffe made a number of Red Canna paintings of the canna lily plant, first in watercolor, such as a red canna flower bouquet painted in 1915, but primarily abstract paintings of close-up images in oil. O'Keeffe said that she made the paintings to reflect the way she herself saw flowers, although others have called her depictions erotic, and compared them to female genitalia. O'Keeffe said they had misconstrued her intentions for doing her flower paintings: "Well – I made you take time to look at what I saw and when you took time to really notice my flower you hung all your own associations with flowers on my flower and you write about my flower as if I think and see what you think and see of the flower – and I don't."[1]

O'Keeffe was aware of the sexual implications in her work, but male art reviewers' misinterpretations of these references reinforced a sexual perception of her work that was diametrically opposed to her original goal.[2] She expressed herself through the use of vibrant colors like red, yellow, and orange.

  1. ^ Claxton, Mae Miller (Spring 2003). "'Untamable Texts': The Art of Georgia O'Keeffe and Eudora Welty". Mississippi Quarterly: 315–30 – via EBSCO Host.
  2. ^ Chave, A.C. (Winter 1990). "O'Keeffe and the Masculine Gaze". Art in America. 78: 114 – via EBSCOhost.