L to R: 1: George Woodman, “Piazza San Francesco di Paola,” 1966, 32 x 32 in. Oil on canvas | 2: George Woodman, “Untitled,” 1964, 49 x 49 in. Oil on canvas | 3: George Woodman, “Untitled,” c. 1965, 57 x 68 in. Acrylic on canvas | 4: George Woodman, “Untitled,” 1967, 65 x 65 in. Oil on canvas | 5: George Woodman, “Rainbow Funnel,” c. 1967-69, 63 x 39 1/2 in. Acrylic on canvas | 6: George Woodman, Notes from a lecture on Sol LeWitt, c. 1976. Woodman Family Foundation Archives. | 7: George Woodman, Notes from a lecture on Pattern and Art, c. 1979. Woodman Family Foundation Archives. | 8: Sol LeWitt, “Wall Drawing 1: Drawing Series II 18 (A & B),” 1968, each 48 x 48 in. Graphite on wall. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art © The LeWitt Estate | 9: Sol LeWitt, “Cubic-Modular Wall Structure, Black,” 1966, 43 1/2 x 43 1/2 x 9 3/8 in. Painted wood. Museum of Modern Art © The LeWitt Estate | 10: Sol LeWitt, “Serial Project, I (ABCD),” 1966, 20 in. x 13 ft. 7 in. x 13 ft. 7 in. Baked enamel on steel units over baked enamel on aluminum. Museum of Modern Art © The LeWitt Estate | 11: Frank Stella, “Harran II,” 1967, 10 x 20 ft. Polymer on fluorescent polymer paint on canvas. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum © Estate of Frank Stella | 12: Frank Stella, “Gray Scramble,” 1968-69, 69 x 69 in. Oil on canvas. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum © Estate of Frank Stella | 13: Alfred Jensen, In-text plate (folio 13) from “A Pythagorean Notebook,” 1965, 15 9/16 × 20 11/16 in. Composition from illustrated book with 20 lithographs, published by Tamarind Lithography Workshop. Museum of Modern Art © Estate of Alfred Jensen | 14: Alfred Jensen, “That Is It,” 1966, 42 x 36 in. Oil on canvas. Museum of Modern Art © Estate of Alfred Jensen | 15: Alfred Jensen, “The Acrobatic Rectangle Per, Eleven,” 1967, 68 x 48 1/2 in. Oil on canvas. Whitney Museum of American Art © Estate of Alfred Jensen | 16: Agnes Martin, “Orchards of Lightning,” 1966, 11 3/4 x 9 3/8 in. Ink on paper. Museum of Modern Art © Estate of Agnes Martin | 17: Agnes Martin, “Untitled,” 1963, 8 x 8 in. Brush and ink and pen and ink on paper. Whitney Museum of American Art © Estate of Agnes Martin | 18: Agnes Martin, “Untitled,” 1960, 70 x 70 in. Oil on canvas. Dia Art Foundation © Estate of Agnes Martin. All George Woodman artworks © Woodman Family Foundation. All artworks © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
George Woodman, “Piazza San Francesco di Paola,” 1966, 32 x 32 in. Oil on canvas © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
George Woodman in dialogue with New York minimalist painters. “George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978”
In her essay for the exhibition’s catalogue—“The Mind as it Measures: George Woodman’s Patterns”—curator Rebecca Skafsgaard Lowery discusses Woodman’s approach to pattern and color in the context of his contemporaries.
L to R: 1: George Woodman, Alhambra, Granada, Spain, c. 1965 | 2, 5, 9: Tile patterns in Alhambra, Granada, Spain, 1965 | 3: “7 Colors in 4’s,” 1966, 67 x 67 in. Acrylic on canvas | 4: Alhambra Palace baths, Granada, Spain. Photo © Guido Montanes Castillo | 6: “Untitled,” 1966, 66 1/2 x 66 1/2 in. Oil on canvas | 7: Sketch for painting, c. 1965-66 | 8: “San Francisco di Paolo” or “Axe Pattern,” 1966, 43 x 43 in. Acrylic on canvas | 10: Charles Woodman and Francesca Woodman, Alhambra, Granada, Spain, c. 1965 | 11: Betty Woodman, Alhambra, Granada, Spain, c. 1965. All artworks, sketches, and photos by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
George Woodman, Alhambra, Granada, Spain, c. 1965. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
George Woodman's travels to Alhambra, Granada, Spain. "George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978," DC Moore Gallery, New York
In 1965, George Woodman visited Granada, Spain to see the Alhambra, the iconic monument to Islamic architecture where geometry, ornamentation and architecture harmoniously converge in a multitude of tiled and carved surfaces.
L to R: 1: George Woodman’s studio, Tuscany, Italy, c. 1965-66 | 2: “Untitled,” 1965, 63 x 94 in. Oil on canvas | 3: “Untitled,” 1967, 31 3/4 x 31 3/4 in. Oil on canvas | 4: “Untitled,” c. 1965-66, dimensions unknown. Oil on canvas | 5: “Untitled,” c. 1966, 40 x 40 in. Oil on canvas | 6: “Cosmati,” 1966, 60 x 60 in. Oil on canvas | 7: Cosmati tile detail Cattedrale di Anagni, Anagni, Italy © Museo della Cattedrale di Anagni | 8: “Untitled,” c. 1966, 59 1/2 x 59 in. Oil on canvas | 9: Sketch for painting, c. 1965-66 | 10: “Trajan’s Column,” 1965/1966, 33 1/2 x 201 in. Acrylic on canvas | 11: Sketch for painting, undated | 12-14: Details from “Trajan’s Column,” 1965/1966 | 15: Exhibition announcement, “George E. Woodman: The Italian Paintings,”University Memorial Center Art Gallery, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 1966. All sketches and artworks by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
George Woodman’s studio, Tuscany, Italy, c. 1965-66. Artworks by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
George Woodman's year in Florence, Italy. "George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978," DC Moore Gallery, New York
From the fall of 1965 through the summer of 1966, George Woodman spent the year living and working near Florence, Italy. It was in this year that the presence of pattern and attention to color that characterized his earlier paintings took a definitive turn.
L to R: 1: “Untitled,” c. 1970-71, 66 3/8 x 66 3/8 in. | 2: “Untitled,” c. 1971, 52 x 52 in. | 3: “7 Colors in 4’s,” 1966, 67 x 67 in. | 4: “Untitled,” 1968, 63 x 98 1/4 in. | 5: “Untitled,” 1975, 60 x 60 in. | 6: “Untitled,” 1978, 49 x 49 in. All acrylic on canvas. All artworks by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
OPENING April 3: "George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978," DC Moore Gallery, New York, 2025
Focusing on geometric abstractions from a significant period within the artist's six-decade career, this exhibition traces the development of George Woodman's singular approach to pattern.
L to R: 1: “Untitled,” 1978, 49 x 49 in. Acrylic on canvas | 2: Installation view, “George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978,” DC Moore Gallery, New York, New York, 2025 | 3: “Grey Portal,” 1978, 84 x 84 in. Acrylic on canvas | 4: “Untitled,” 1978, 48 x 48 in. Acrylic on canvas | 5-7: Installation views, “Three Paper Tilings,” Claremore College, Claremore, Oklahoma, 1979 | 8: Installation view, “Paper Tilings,” Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado, 1980 | 9: “Sentimental Geometry,” 1981, 120 x 252 in. Paper tiles. Installation view, “Criss-Cross at Yellowstone,” Yellowstone Art Center, Billings, Montana, 1981 | 10-11: “Rochester Carpet,” 1984. Hand-painted chipboard tile installation. Bevier Gallery, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York, 1984. All artworks by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
George Woodman. “Untitled,” 1978, 49 x 49 in. Acrylic on canvas © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Aperiodic tiling. "George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978"
By 1977, George Woodman’s tessellation paintings became non-periodic or aperiodic, consisting of a set of shapes which tiled the canvas but did not necessarily repeat.
L to R: Francesca Woodman, “Untitled," c. 1976, 4 7/8 x 5 1/8 in. Courtesy Elton John and David Furnish Collection. | Exhibition poster, “Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection” with Harley Weir, “Boys Don’t Cry, Senegal, 2015,” 2015 © Harley Weir | Francesca Woodman, “Untitled,” 1979, 5 7/8 x 5 13/16 in. | Detail from installation view of “Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection," Victoria and Albert Museum, 2024. Image courtesy and copyright Victoria and Albert Museum & James Retief | Exhibition graphic, “The ‘70s Lens: Reimagining Documentary Photography” with Anthony Barboza, “New York City,” 1970s © Anthony Barboza Photography | Francesca Woodman, “Untitled,” c. 1977-78, 5 9/16 x 5 3/8 in. | Francesca Woodman, “House #3,” c. 1975-76, from the “Abandoned House” series, 6 3/8 x 6 7/16 in. All Francesca Woodman works gelatin silver prints © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / DACS, London
Francesca Woodman, “Untitled," c. 1976, 4 7/8 x 5 1/8 in. Gelatin silver print. Courtesy Elton John and David Furnish Collection. © Woodman Family Foundation / DACS, London
NOW ON VIEW: Francesca Woodman in “Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection” and “The ‘70s Lens: Reimagining Documentary Photography,” 2024
This fall, check out two group exhibitions showcasing works by Francesca Woodman. Known for her performative approach to photography, Woodman stages the female body and intervenes in the environment to create narratives rich in metaphor.
Francesca Woodman. "Untitled," c. 1975-78, 9 1/2 x 12 1/4 in. (24.13 x 31.12 cm). Gelatin silver print © Woodman Family Foundation / VISDA, Copenhagen.
OPENING October 11: "OCEAN," Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk, Denmark, 2024
This exhibition delves into the depths where imagination meets reality, considering ways the sea has been a source of adventure and destruction throughout history.
L to R: Pair: “Athens,” 1991 / “Massenet,” ed. 8/8, 2010 | “Athens,” 1991, Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, and paint. 35 1/2 x 68 5/8 x 10 1/4 in. | “Massenet,” ed. 8/8, 2010, Soft-paste porcelain biscuit. © Sèvres - Manufacture et musée nationaux, 2013.D.8587.1 / 20013.D.8587.2. Photographer: Gerard Jonca. All works by Betty Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
New Betty Woodman exhibitions, September 2024
This month, explore two group exhibitions in New York showcasing diverse works by Betty Woodman from the 1990s and 2000s.
L to R: George Woodman. "Daphne," 1982, 78 x 60 in. Acrylic on canvas. Image courtesy DC Moore Gallery. Artwork © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / Installation view, "Who Is There?", DC Moore Gallery, New York, 2024
George Woodman. "Daphne," 1982, 78 x 60 in. Acrylic on canvas. Image courtesy DC Moore Gallery. Artwork © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
NOW ON VIEW: George Woodman in "Who Is There?", DC Moore Gallery, New York, 2024
This group exhibition of personal, expressive landscapes features works that merge abstraction and representation, depicting threshold spaces and hybridized forms where the observed and the imaginative meet.
L to R: Pair: Julia Margaret Cameron. “Il Penseroso,” 1865, 252 x 202 mm. Albumen print. The Victoria and Albert Museum / Francesca Woodman. “Self-Portrait on That Same Day,” c. 1977, 5 5/16 x 5 1/4 in. Gelatin silver print. / Images 2-7: Installation views, “Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In,” Institut Valencià d'Art Modern, Valencia, Spain, 2024. Images courtesy Institut Valencià d'Art Modern. Photo: Miguel Lorenzo / Pair: Julia Margaret Cameron. “Marie Spartali,” 1870, 362 x 267 mm. Albumen silver print. The J. Paul Getty Museum / Francesca Woodman. “Space²," from the “Space²“ series, 5 11/16 x 5 11/16 in. Gelatin silver print. All Francesca Woodman artworks © Woodman Family Foundation / VEGAP, Madrid.
Pair: Julia Margaret Cameron. “Il Penseroso,” 1865, 252 x 202 mm. Albumen print. The Victoria and Albert Museum / Francesca Woodman. “Self-Portrait on That Same Day,” c. 1977, 5 5/16 x 5 1/4 in. (13.50 x 13.34 cm). Gelatin silver print. © Woodman Family Foundation / VEGAP, Madrid.
NOW ON VIEW: “Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In” in Spain
"Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In" is currently on view in Spain through October 20.
Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In, installation view. Courtesy National Portrait Gallery, London. Photo: David Parry.
"Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron" in "4Columns," May 31
Read Emily LaBarge's review of Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In at the National Portrait Gallery on 4Columns.
Installation view of Francesca Woodman’s Caryatid series at the National Portrait Gallery, London, 2024. Photograph by David Parry.
"An Unexpected Pairing of Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron" in "Aperture," May 16
Read Stephen Frailey's review of Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In at the National Portrait Gallery on Aperture.