Mary Kavanagh: Seeking Georgia

Southern Alberta Art Gallery
Lethbridge AB thru Mar 5, 2006

In the summer of 2005, Lethbridge artist Mary Kavanagh visited the northern area of New Mexico where Georgia O’Keeffe produced some of her best-known works. Assisted by art historians and local people, she identified many of O’Keefe’s painting locations and examined both facts and fables about this mysterious woman. Her extensive residency was sponsored by the Santa Fe Institute, where the Georgia O’Keefe Museum is located.

Few artists have been the centre of as many myths and legends during the past century. Although she was a vital member of New York City’s most influential artists and writers, O’Keefe chose to live and work for many years in the deserts of New Mexico. Here she created the famous flower and skull paintings adored by the public today. In Seeking Georgia, Mary Kavanagh searches for the essence of the artist among the feminist lore, the cult of personality and the art historical constructions. The project includes maps, writings and video recordings of her journey.

Mary Kavanagh has an MFA from the University of Saskatchewan and an MA in Art History from the University of Western Ontario. She teaches media, including audio, video and performance, to research and interpret specific histories, at the University of Lethbridge.

www.saag.ca

Mia Johnson

Other artists currently showing at the SAAG: