AGO for O'Keefe

Last week a few of us (hookers) took the GO into Toronto to see the Georgia O'Keefe exhibit at the AGO. This was a trip that some of them had done before and I was glad to be with people who were comfortable with the GO, negotiating Union Station (in a constant state of renovation) and the subway. We found our way to the AGO in perfect time to have lunch before our prescribed ticket time of 1:30.

Heading along Dundas St, through China town to Spadina.

Not exactly

the art we had come to see.

The restaurant, on Spadina, had been suggested by Brit's daughter. I didn't even know what Ramen was.

Brit was the only one who ordered a Ramen (they're noodles) bowl. Pam had a chicken dish (only one hot pepper in the menu code for spiciness), Sue a lamb dish (2 hot peppers on the menu and too hot for me) and I had a selections of salads. We all tried each others.

Everything was delicious (and reasonably priced) but my favorite, and a new discovery, was lotus root salad.

We were seated at the back of the restaurant and just as we finished our meal we could see the chef making some more handmade Ramen. He took the dough and kneaded it, slapped it down, spun it around, stretched it and finally cut it into long strips. His hands worked so fast it was hard to get a picture.

Pleasantly full we headed back to the AGO

We were not permitted to take pictures so the ones below are from the books I bought afterwards. My first introduction to Georgia O'Keefe was one of her trumpet flower paintings that I saw at the museum in San Diego. I adapted it into my "Shades of Georgia" rug that I gave away as a wedding gift. Then I saw one of her New York abstracts at one of the museums in Madrid. The two paintings were radically different but I was attracted to them both.

No 21-special (1916/1917) . I don't usually care for abstracts but I find most of hers appealing. Some, like this one, have a landscape feel to them.

Others have a floral feel. Flower Abstraction (1924)

The Lawrence Tree (1929). I love the perspective, looking up into the tree at night.

One of the books also has some photos of the landscapes that she painted. The Cliff Chimneys (1938)

One of my favorites. Chama River, Ghost Ranch (1937)

and I am oddly drawn to her New York work, often painted from high up in her hotel apartment. Radiator Building, New York (1927)

I really want to rug hook another of her pieces but will have trouble choosing. I will then have to contact the museum that owns it to ask permission (didn't have much luck with the San Diego one, they didn't seem to understand what I was asking, but that was at least 5 years ago and I think I have a better idea how to communicate it now).