L to R: “July 1, 2016,” 2016, India ink, 16 ½ x 11 ¾ in. Acrylic paint on sketch paper. / “Karen’s Room,” 2015, 63 x 36 ¼ x 8 ¾ in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, canvas, wood. / “Nov 19, 2016,” 2016, 16 ½ x 23 ¼ in. India ink, acrylic paint on sketch paper. / “July Table and Grey Carpet,” 2016, 63 x 94 ½ x 11 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, canvas, wood. / “March 9, 2015,” 2015, 14 ¾ x 17 in. India ink, acrylic paint on sketch paper. / “The Dining Room #2,” 2014, 60 x 83 ½ x 10 ½ in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, canvas, wood. All works by Betty Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Betty Woodman. “July 1, 2016,” 2016, India ink, 16 ½ x 11 ¾ in. Acrylic paint on sketch paper. © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Jennifer DiCocco, The Woodman Family Foundation's Registrar: STAFF PICKS
As the Foundation’s registrar, I have the privilege of managing Betty, George, and Francesca Woodman’s artwork inventories. Though impossible to select a favorite object from such a prolific inventory, one of my favorite groups of works are Betty’s paintings on sketch paper.
Betty Woodman. "Wall Vase," c. 1980s, approx. 25 1/2 x 14 1/2 x 7 in. Glazed earthenware © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Betty Woodman: Images of Function” by Layaan Roufai
We are pleased to share “Betty Woodman: Images of Function” by Layaan Roufai, who was our Library & Archives intern this summer through the Studio Institute Arts Intern program.
L to R: 1-3: Betty Woodman and George Woodman on their wedding day, Cambridge, MA, June 27, 1953 / Wedding announcement, 1953 / 4 & 5: Wedding telegrams from friends and family, June 27, 1953. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
Betty Woodman and George Woodman on their wedding day, Cambridge, MA, June 27, 1953. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
Happy 71st anniversary to Betty Woodman and George Woodman
Happy 71st anniversary to Betty Woodman and George Woodman, who were married on this day in 1953.
Detail: Betty Woodman walking under torii gates, Japan, 1990 / Pair: Details of Betty Woodman and George Woodman in a traditional ryokan inn, Japan, 1990 / Betty Woodman, Japan, 1990 / George Woodman, Japan, 1990 / George Woodman, Shinto shrine, Japan, 1990 / Hōryū-ji Temple, Nara, Japan, 1990 / Buddhist Guardian statue, Hōryū-ji Temple, Nara, Japan, 1990 / Pillars, Hōryū-ji Temple, Nara, Japan, 1990 / Shave ice stall, Japan, 1990. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
Detail: Betty Woodman walking under torii gates, Japan, 1990. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
Betty Woodman and George Woodman in Japan, 1990
As the solstice today marks the official beginning of summer, we are reminded of the Woodmans’ extensive travels around the world and their months immersed in global artistic influences.
L to R: Betty Woodman with potted flowers, Antella, Italy, c. 1990s / Betty in her garden in Boulder, Colorado, c. 1960s / Betty putting fresh flowers in a group of her “Vase and Stand” works, 1984. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
Betty Woodman with potted flowers, Antella, Italy, c. 1990s. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
Happy birthday to Betty Woodman
Happy birthday to Betty Woodman—a garden enthusiast and artist who ingeniously experimented with her lifelong muse, the vase, and its multitude of sculptural possibilities.
Customs declaration form penned by George Woodman. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
Customs declaration form penned by George Woodman. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
Across oceans and borders, a customs declaration became a promise: FROM THE ARCHIVES...
Around 1952, a young George Woodman in Cambridge, Massachusetts, penned his devotion on a USPS customs form: “Little box with littler box inside” and “1 engagement ring of Navajo silver with turquoises.” The precious 4-ounce package was destined for the hands of Elizabeth Abrahams (later to be known as Betty Woodman) across the ocean in Fiesole, Italy, where she had been living and working for the past year.
L to R: Images 1-4: Betty Woodman’s brushes / Detail of "Roman Girls," 2008, 35 x 70 x 11 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, paint / Detail of "History of the Amphora," 2011, 6 ft. x 8 ft. x 1 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint / Detail of “Country House,” 2005, 66 x 32 x 9 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer / Woodman’s glazes / Detail of "Spring Wall Relief," 2009, 60 x 48 x 1 in. Glazed earthenware / Detail of "His and Hers Vases: Ferris Wheel," 2006, 28.5 x 73 x 14.5 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, and paint / All works by Betty Woodman. © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
Betty Woodman’s brushes. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
Betty Woodman's glazes, paints, and brushes: FROM THE ARCHIVES...
Betty Woodman’s numerous glazes, paints, and the varied configurations of brushes—sometimes mixed or assembled by the artist herself to achieve desired color swatches, brushy marks, and parallel stripes—reflect her continuously innovative work with ceramic forms.
L to R: All artworks by Betty Woodman. “Green Checks,” 2014. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, canvas, and wood. 60 1/2 x 43 x 10 1/4 in. Photo: Brian Forrest / “Tuesday Afternoon,” 2016. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, acrylic paint, and canvas. 84 x 38 x 13 in. Photo: Jeff McLane / “From Nina’s Room,” 2016. Acrylic paint, pencil, ink, and collage on paper. 29 x 36 in. Photo: Phoebe d’Heurle. All images Courtesy of David Kordansky Gallery.
Betty Woodman. “Green Checks,” 2014. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, canvas, and wood. 60 1/2 x 43 x 10 1/4 in. Courtesy of David Kordansky Gallery. Photo: Brian Forrest.
Betty Woodman at The ADAA Art Show
This solo presentation of wall-based works by Woodman focuses on the culminating phase of her 60-year career. The paintings on view--on canvas, ceramic, and paper--illuminate the artist's daring approach to materials and radical explorations of two- and three-dimensional form.
Betty Woodman, Italy, 1995. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
Betty Woodman, Italy, 1995. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
Watch a video recording of the event "Amy Sherlock and Judith Tannenbaum on Betty Woodman" moderated by Kyle Dancewicz, SculptureCenter, December 8, 2022
Watch a video recording of the event "Amy Sherlock and Judith Tannenbaum on Betty Woodman" moderated by Kyle Dancewicz which took place on December 8, 2022 at SculptureCenter.
Cover of "Betty Woodman: Conversations on the Shore, Works from the 1990s," 2023. Image Courtesy of David Kordansky Gallery.
Cover of "Betty Woodman: Conversations on the Shore, Works from the 1990s," 2023. Image Courtesy of David Kordansky Gallery.
"Betty Woodman: Conversations on the Shore, Works from the 1990s" catalogue published by David Kordansky Gallery
Published in association with Woodman's 2022 exhibition at David Kordansky Gallery New York, this vibrant catalogue includes a new essay by Amy Sherlock, which, together with installation views and details of thirteen works from this formative period, enlarge an understanding of Woodman's process and practice.
Still from exhibition video for “Betty Woodman and George Woodman,” Charleston, East Sussex, UK, March 25–September 10, 2023. Exhibition video Charleston Trust. All video interviews Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
Still from exhibition video for “Betty Woodman and George Woodman,” Charleston, East Sussex, UK, March 25–September 10, 2023. Exhibition video Charleston Trust. All video interviews Woodman Family Foundation Archives. All artworks © Woodman Family Foundation / DACS, London.
Exhibition video for "Betty Woodman and George Woodman," Charleston, East Sussex, UK, March 25-September 10, 2023
Catch a glimpse of Betty and George Woodman's Italian studios and home and hear them speak about the importance of Italy to their work in this exhibition video, assembled from interviews in the Woodman Family Foundation archives.
Installation view: “Betty Woodman and George Woodman," Charleston, East Sussex, UK, 2023.
Installation view: “Betty Woodman and George Woodman," Charleston, East Sussex, UK, 2023.
Video vignettes from Charleston for “Betty Woodman and George Woodman,” Charleston, East Sussex, UK, March 25-September 10, 2023
Video vignettes by Charleston that highlight artworks by Betty Woodman and George Woodman included in the exhibition Betty Woodman and George Woodman. On view through September 10, 2023.