Which 1929 destination became a major subject of Georgia O'Keeffe's art?

New Mexico became a major subject of Georgia O'Keeffe’s art after her 1929 visit.

O'Keeffe had first visited the state in 1917, but the extended trips she began in 1929 marked a decisive change in her working life. She traveled through the region, painted its landscapes, and collected objects such as animal bones. The state’s architecture and geology provided forms that could be simplified and enlarged in the same way she had enlarged flowers.

Her New Mexico subjects included the cross at the ranch, adobe buildings, desert hills, animal skulls, and the cliffs of Ghost Ranch. She was especially drawn to stark shapes and clear contrasts.

The year 1929 is sometimes confused with her first visit, which occurred earlier. It refers to the beginning of the sustained annual trips that made New Mexico central to her artistic identity.