O’Keeffe and Moore

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Entryway to an exhibition, with the title 'O'Keefe and Moore' in large white text on a black wall between two ornate pillars. There is a large black and white photo of a woman on the wall, and an oval bronze sculpture on a plinth.

Wide shot of a gallery space, with several small paintings hung on a burgundy wall, and four small sculptures in two display cases.

Wide shot of a gallery space, with several small paintings hung on a burgundy wall, and three small sculptures in a display case.

A recreation of Georgia O'Keefe's studio, with a fireplace and window surrounded by sculptures, paintings and found material such as bones and antlers.

Wide shot of a gallery space containing a recreation of Henry Moore's studio, alongside a stone carving of a seated woman holding a child, and a large-scale photo of a bronze sculpture in a field, surrounded by sheep.

A recreation of Henry Moore's studio, with an elephant skull on a plinth, and a small desk and sideboard displaying numerous small sculptures and found objects such as bones and stones.

Wide shot of a gallery with blue walls, with four large figurative sculptures in bronze and stone by Henry Moore displayed on plinths. Paintings are hung on the walls further back.

Wide shot of a gallery with blue walls, with three large figurative sculptures in bronze and stone by Henry Moore displayed on plinths, and a painting by Georgia O'Keefe hung on a wall between them.

Close up view of a bronze sculpture by Henry Moore, made of three interlocking pieces similar to vertebrae. The negative space of the sculpture frames another behind it, this one of a reclining figure carved from white stone.

Wide shot of a gallery space containing numerous sculptures by Henry Moore and paintings by Georgia O'Keefe.

Wide shot of a gallery with blue walls, with a tall sculpture by Henry Moore in the foreground, which looks to be inspired in equal parts by the human figure and pieces of bone. Behind it are more sculptures on plinths, and paintings by Georgia O'Keefe hung on the walls.

Wide shot of a gallery with sand-coloured walls, with a tall sculpture by Henry Moore in the foreground, which looks to be inspired in equal parts by the human figure and pieces of bone. Behind it are more sculptures on plinths, and paintings by Georgia O'Keefe hung on the walls.

Wide shot of a gallery, with three paintings and an abstract stone sculpture in the foreground, and a wooden carving of a reclining figure visible through a corridor into the room behind.

A large, wooden carving of a reclining figure by Henry Moore, displayed on a plinth. Two small paintings by Georgia O'Keefe are hung on the blue wall behind, to either side of the sculpture.

The entrance to The San Diego Museum of Art, with ornate stonework rising three storeys high, featuring decorative pillars, figurative sculpture and coats of arms.

This is the first exhibition to bring together the work of two iconic modernists: Georgia O’Keeffe and Henry Moore.

While these artists worked on different continents, their careers and contributions to the artistic development of the 20th century reveal many parallels. The two artists pioneered and shared a coherent vision and approach to Modernism.

While other Modernist artists also used natural forms as a pathway to abstraction, no other artists apart from O’Keeffe and Moore centred their art on this fundamental aspect, and amassed such great collections of animal skulls and bones, gnarled tree roots and twisted driftwood, and smooth and hollowed stones. Both artists also drew inspiration from the landscapes that were an essential part of their life and work.

Curated by Anita Feldman, The San Diego Museum of Art’s Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs and Education, the exhibition will also travel to Albuquerque Museum (30 September – 31 December 2023) and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (5 February – 9 June 2024).

Henry Moore, 'Reclining Figure: Bone' 1975 (LH 643), travertine marble. © The Henry Moore Foundation.

Works in the exhibition

The exhibition features over 100 paintings and sculptures which trace their artistic development and explore Surrealist concepts such as the pairing of objects and metamorphosis. The exhibition also includes recreations of the artists’ studios, complete with their original contents of found objects, tools and furnishings.

View list of works in our online catalogue