Day 4: Tour of O’Keeffe’s Abiquiu home; 1977 documentary

Today I took a guided tour of Georgia O’Keeffe’s Abiquiu home and studio where she lived from 1949 until 1984 (except for the summer months, during which she lived at Ghost Ranch). The tour had information about the history of the place, the significance of the site in her paintings, and the small realities of her life and relationship to her space and objects, which I won’t attempt to relate here in full detail. The house has been preserved virtually exactly as she left it (“Beware of Dog” signs and all!), and I was struck by O’Keeffe’s distinctive decorative sensibility – spare, earthy, elegant. Every nook and cranny is perfectly composed, with collections of rocks and sculpture pieces on empty surfaces. The style of the furnishings is classic mid-century modernist, tinged with a Japanese aesthetic. It’s relaxing, beautiful, although not exactly “cozy”. Clearly a conducive place for making art and leading a quiet, contemplative lifestyle.

Later in the day I watched the 1977 documentary “Georgia O’Keeffe” by Perry Miller Adato, which features exclusive interviews with the artist herself when she was in her 80s. The film is out of print on VHS and has never been released on DVD, so I was excited to see that it was available for viewing at the Piedra Lumbre Education and Visitor Center at Ghost Ranch. It’s a fascinating and well-made portrait, offering genuine insight into O’Keeffe’s life and identity as an artist.

Day 3: Ghost Ranch and vicinity; the White Place

Chimney Rock
Chimney Rock at Ghost Ranch

We started the day very early in an effort to capture the morning light, and to get out before the day’s incredible (uncharacteristic) heat set in. We walked a short way into the Chimney Rock hiking trail to shoot a stunning 360 degree vista. We spent the rest of the morning exploring other views in the area, and the part of Ghost Ranch known as the Piedra Lumbre basin, which includes the several acres of land that O’Keeffe actually owned. Unfortunately, we discovered that the hiking trails there are currently closed to visitors ”“ but we were able to enjoy the landscape from the side of the road, and caught a distant glimpse of O’Keeffe’s home and studio (owned and maintained by the museum, but closed to the public), where she painted views of Pedernal and the badlands that surrounded her.

After an afternoon of filming and walking, we left Ghost Ranch to check in at the Abiquiu Inn, where we will spend the next few days. The inn is a short drive away from Ghost Ranch and close to the town of Abiquiu, where O’Keeffe kept a home for the non-summer months.

The White Place
The White Place

Following our arrival at the inn, we promptly drove to the nearby “White Place”, an area which was the subject of several O’Keeffe paintings. Her paintings focus on isolated detail views, which highlight the shapes and negative space in the column-like rock formations (see “From the White Place”). I didn’t know quite what the White Place would be like in person.

It was breathtaking. Cliffs, columns and mushrooms of soft white rock roll off into the distance, giving the appearance of an ancient Roman palace from Mars. I took time walking, filming, and admiring this place (which is host to plenty of insect life, including hundreds of gnats which seemed determined to land on my face and neck at the very moments I was attempting to execute precise camera maneuvers…).

The accessibility of the White Place was a relief: leaving the car in a parking area, I was free to hike into the site and station the camera up close without the limitations of power lines, fences, buildings or private roads in the way, as has been the case with every other location I’ve filmed. Although the light was beautiful, the angle of the late-day sun cast shadows on much of the landscape, so I decided to return on another day.