Charcoal drawings by Georgia O'Keeffe from 1915 represents Georgia O'Keeffe's first major exploration of abstract art and attainment of a freedom to explore her artistic talents based upon what she felt and envisioned. O'Keeffe developed radical charcoal drawings, with just a few lines, that led to greater development of total abstraction. This series of works was completed following three summers of instruction at the University of Virginia on Arthur Wesley Dow's design philosophies, which were highly influential in her development as an abstract artist. Early the following year, photographer and art dealer,

Alfred Stieglitz Alfred Stieglitz (January 1, 1864 – July 13, 1946) was an American photographer and modern art promoter who was instrumental over his 50-year career in making photography an accepted art form. In addition to his photography, Stieglitz was kno ...

exhibited some of the drawings at his ''

291 __NOTOC__ Year 291 ( CCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Tiberianus and Dio (or, less frequently, year 1044 ''A ...

'' art gallery.

Background

While teaching at Columbia College in South Carolina, O'Keeffe completed a series of highly innovative charcoal abstractions in 1915, which were unique in their form. Other earlier creators of abstract art used Cubist shapes, but she used the rhythms and shapes that she found in nature to conceptualize her subconscious feelings, which she called the "unknown", to dictate her compositions.

Overview

''Drawing XIII'' is an example of how O'Keeffe began to develop her own sense of design and composition. A rising flame or flowing river are suggested by the curved line on the right side of the drawing. On the left is a jagged line that seems to represent a lightning strike or mountains. In between the two are four rounded images that appear to be trees or a rolling hillside.

Exhibit

O'Keeffe mailed the drawings to friend and former classmate,

Anita Pollitzer Anita Lily Pollitzer (October 31, 1894 – July 3, 1975) was an American photographer and suffragist. Early life and education Anita Lily Pollitzer was born October 31, 1894, in Charleston, South Carolina. Her parents were Clara Guinzburg Polli ...

, who took them to

at his ''

'' gallery early in 1916. Stieglitz found them to be the "purest, finest, sincerest things that had entered ''291'' in a long while", and in April, Stieglitz exhibited ten of her drawings at ''291''. O'Keeffe was surprised that Stieglitz had not communicated when her work would be shown. She confronted him, but agreed to let exhibit continue.

Gallery

File:Georgia O'Keefe No. 5 Special 1915 NGA.tif, Georgia O'Keeffe, ''No. 5 Special'', 1915, National Gallery of Art File:Georgia O'Keeffe, No. 7 Special 1915 NGA.tif, Georgia O'Keeffe, ''No. 7 Special'', 1915, National Gallery of Art File:Georgia O'Keeffe No. 12-Special 1915 NGA.tif, Georgia O'Keeffe, ''No. 12 Special'', 1915, National Gallery of Art File:Georgia O'Keeffe No. 20-From Music-Special 1915 NGA.tif, Georgia O'Keeffe, ''No. 20 From Music Special'', 1915, National Gallery of Art

References

{{Georgia O'Keeffe 1915 works O'Keeffe Georgia O'Keeffe Abstract art Collections of the National Gallery of Art Drawings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Whitney Museum of American Art