Georgia O'Keeffe’s early abstract charcoal drawings were shown by Alfred Stieglitz as the series known as Specials.
O'Keeffe made the drawings in 1915 while teaching art in South Carolina. They represented a decisive break from the realistic and academic methods she had previously studied. In place of recognizable objects, she used flowing lines, curves, and tonal relationships to explore visual ideas directly.
Anita Pollitzer took the drawings to Alfred Stieglitz, who exhibited them at his New York gallery 291 in 1916. Stieglitz called the works Specials, and their display made O'Keeffe one of the first American artists to present fully abstract art to a broad public. The drawings are sometimes described simply as her “charcoal abstractions,” but Specials is the specific title associated with the 1916 exhibition. Stieglitz’s decision to show them helped launch O'Keeffe’s professional career.