Judy Longley

A Woman Divided: Poems Inspired by Georgia O'keeffe Judy Longley

Stunned by an exhibit of Georgia O'Keeffe at the National Gallery of Art in the late '80's, I became intrigued by one of America's great artists. Responding to the images in her paintings and her fascinating life with husband, Alfred Stieglitz, the famous photographer, I began an imaginary poetic biography. She suffered conflicts still pertinent to women artists of any genre today: How to fulfill one's gifts and be in relationship. Her love for Stieglitz and his obdurate refusal to join her when her creative path led to New Mexico created "a woman divided." With pain we are unable to measure, she crisscrossed the country between Alfred in New York and her beloved West. After Alfred's death, still haunted by her choice, she worked into her nineties painting the Western landscape. Her vibrant body of work remains a legacy to us all.