Although O’Keefe’s abstractions are at first glance similar with those of his contemporary, Gerhard Richter, they are in reality quite different. Richter's abstractions are produced by “pulling the paint in emotionless paths over the canvas,” with the purpose of being “gestural without being expressive.” O’Keefe’s layered and scraped abstractions are not only gestural and expressive but born from a deeply emotional source that expose layers of tragedy, joy, and rebirth. His life story shows how “scraping the surface” can capture more than just our cursory attention.
