Francesca Woodman

“Women and Change” at the Arken Museum of Modern Art in Denmark considers unfolding depictions of women in Western art history over the past 150 years, a period that roughly parallels the history of the women’s rights movement. The exhibition presents works by 64 international artists that challenge ideas about the body, gender, identity and history, including Francesca Woodman’s “Caryatid” (1980).

Born on this day in 1958 in Boulder, Colorado, Francesca Woodman lived and worked in Providence, Rhode Island, Rome and New York City. Here she is on a summer day at the Coney Island boardwalk.

Francesca Woodman in “girls girls girls” at Lismore Castle Arts, Lismore, Ireland. On view April 2 through October 30, 2022. Curated by Simone Rocha.

We are pleased to share “The Lady of the Glove: Francesca Woodman and Surrealism” by Celia Bùi Lê, who was our research intern this past summer through the Studio Institute. In her essay, Lê traces the history of Surrealism as related to women, both as maker and as muse, and discusses Woodman’s use of its tropes as a type of creative empowerment.

Francesca Woodman in “A Century of the Artist’s Studio: 1920-2020.” Whitechapel Gallery, London. February 24 through June 5, 2022.

Read a review on "Francesca Woodman: Alternate Stories" by Andrew Dickson in BBC Culture. The exhibition is currently on view through December 23.

Read a review on "Francesca Woodman: Alternate Stories" by Justin Kamp in The Art Newspaper. The exhibition is currently on view through December 23.

Deep thanks to our friends and supporters whose generosity and insights made “Francesca Woodman: Alternate Stories” at Marian Goodman Gallery such a success: the talented Marian Goodman team; the scholars, curators and artists who shared their perceptive contributions to the video vignettes; the boundlessly inspiring Brooklyn Rail team and fellow panelists; the journalists and critics who wrote and spoke so movingly; the many viewers and followers for their continued interest in and openness to new facets of Woodman’s work. And to Francesca Woodman for creating a singular body of work that continues to captivate and invite. Wishing you all the happiest of holidays!

On the occasion of "Francesca Woodman: Alternate Stories," Marian Goodman Gallery commissioned eight video vignettes by an array of art historians, curators, and artists, each whom brought their own perspective to Woodman’s work and the exhibition currently on view. In this video, Elisabeth Sussman, the Curator and Sondra Gilman Curator of Photography at the Whitney Museum of American Art, contextualizes Woodman's work within the framework of its era.

On the occasion of "Francesca Woodman: Alternate Stories," Marian Goodman Gallery commissioned eight video vignettes by an array of art historians, curators, and artists, each whom brought their own perspective to Woodman’s work and the exhibition currently on view. In this video, Kevin Moore, a New York based curator and writer, on Woodman's Victorian aesthetic, identity exploration and the artist's role in her artistic narrative.

On the occasion of "Francesca Woodman: Alternate Stories," Marian Goodman Gallery commissioned eight video vignettes by an array of art historians, curators, and artists, each whom brought their own perspective to Woodman’s work and the exhibition currently on view. In this video, Drew Sawyer, the Brooklyn Museum's Phillip Leonian and Edith Rosenbaum Leonian Curator, discusses Woodman's historical references and artistic affinities among her and her peers.

On the occasion of "Francesca Woodman: Alternate Stories," Marian Goodman Gallery commissioned eight video vignettes by an array of art historians, curators, and artists, each whom brought their own perspective to Woodman’s work and the exhibition currently on view. In this video, Chris Kraus, the American critic and writer, talks through Francesca Woodman's artistic process.