L to R: 1: Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” 1976, 6 1/2 x 7 in. Gelatin silver print | 2: Betty Woodman. “Beach Girls,” 2013, 21 x 31 1/2 in. India ink, clay, pencil and acrylic paint on paper | 3: Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” 1976, 6 3/8 x 6 3/8 in. Gelatin silver print | 4: Betty Woodman. “At the Beach,” 2007, 50 x 84 1/2 x 0 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, canvas, terra sigillata | 5: Francesca Woodman. “Seashore Circle,” 1976, 5 3/16 x 5 3/16 in. Gelatin silver print | 6: Betty Woodman. “Balustrade Relief Vase: 97-8,” 1997, 57 x 62 x 9 in. Glazed earthenware | 7: George Woodman. “Betty at the Seashore,” 1995, 12 x 9 1/2 in. Gelatin silver print | 8: Betty Woodman. “Low Triptych: Seaside Still Life,” 2006, 24 1/2 x 74 1/2 x 9 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint | 9: Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” c. 1979-80, 6 1/2 x 9 5/8 in. Gelatin silver print | 10: Betty Woodman. “Posing with Vases at the Beach,” 2008, 33 x 81 x 6 3/4 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, paint | 11: Betty Woodman. “Conversations on the Shore,” 1994, 84 x 142 x 53 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, paint © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” 1976, 6 1/2 x 7 in. Gelatin silver print © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
The Woodmans and the alluring shores
Betty Woodman, Francesca Woodman, and George Woodman also succumbed to the lure of beaches and seashores in their work, each artist reimagining the beachscape with a distinct sensibility and overlapping visual languages.
L to R: 1: Betty Woodman. “Lake View,” 2013, 60 x 46 x 11 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, wood, canvas | 2: George Woodman. “Love Nests at Lake Lemon,” 1962, 38 x 50 in. Oil on canvas | 3: Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” 1979, 3 13/16 x 3 13/16 in. Gelatin silver print | 4: Betty Woodman. “Lago di Como,” 1995, 26 1/2 x 43 1/2 x 10 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware | 5: George Woodman. “Untitled,” c. 2000, 19 1/8 x 10 in. Gelatin silver print | 6: Betty Woodman. “Deco Lake Shore,” 2002, 24 x 50 in. Terra sigilatta, wax, acrylic paint, graphite on paper. Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. | 7: Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” c. 1972-75, 3 7/8 x 5 7/8 in. Gelatin silver print | 8: George Woodman. “Swimming at Kippy Stroud’s,” 2002, 16 x 20. Gelatin silver print | 9: Francesca Woodman. "Untitled," c.1979-80, 4 1/2 x 4 3/4 in. Gelatin silver print © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Betty Woodman. “Lake View,” 2013, 60 x 46 x 11 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, wood, canvas © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
The Woodmans and the serenity of lakes
This summer, take in the fluid beauty of water as seen through the eyes of Betty Woodman, George Woodman, and Francesca Woodman.
L to R: 1: “Still Life, Little Vase, Vivienne,” 2003, 23 3/4 x 19 3/4 in. | 2: “Dialogue of the Dresses” or “Antella Still Life,” 1999, 16 x 20 in. | 3: “Still Life with Picture of Eleanora,” 2009, 23 3/4 x 20 in. | 4: “Still Life with Rachel” or “Childhood Memories,” 1997, 20 x 16 in. | 5: “Vatican Mysteries,” 1996, 42 x 33 in. | 6: “Kitty and Rabbit on the Classical Past” or “Rococo Still Life,” 1993, 20 x 16 in. | 7: “Italian Still Life,” 2000, 24 x 30 in. | 8: “Saskia Disrobing in Still Life” or “Saskia and Fruit,” 2003, 20 x 24 in. All gelatin silver prints. All artworks by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
George Woodman. “Still Life, Little Vase, Vivienne,” 2003, 23 3/4 x 19 3/4 in. Gelatin silver print © Woodman Family Foundation / SIAE, Rome
George Woodman's still life photography
George Woodman’s still life photography bears unmistakable traces of his decades-long career as a painter: His compositions—re-photographed prints and negatives, fruits and drapery, sculptures and paintings collapsed into a single pictorial space—are at once witty and rich in art historical allusion.
Installation view, "George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978," DC Moore Gallery, New York, 2025
Exhibition Video for "George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978," DC Moore Gallery, New York, 2025
Watch the exhibition video to listen to Rebecca Lowery, Curator of Exhibitions at the Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University, discusses George Woodman's evolving use of tessellations and color.
L to R: Pair: Dodd, Wayne (Ed.) The Ohio Review, No. 60. Athens, OH: The Ohio University, 1999. / “A Classical Mystery,” 1996 | Quote from “Some Photographs of Photographs” by George Woodman in The Ohio Review, No. 60, 1999. | “A Classical Mystery,” 1996, 20 x 16 in. | “Apollo and Psyche” or “Pysche et Amour,” 1997, 20 x 16 in. | “Still Life with Rachel” or “Childhood Memories,” c. 1997-98, 20 x 16 in. | “French Fashion in Madison Square” or “M. Vionnet in Madison Square,” 1999, 24 x 20 in. | Woodman, George. “Some Photographs of Photographs,” in The Ohio Review, No. 60, 1999. All gelatin silver prints. All works by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Pair: Dodd, Wayne (Ed.) The Ohio Review, No. 60. Athens, OH: The Ohio University, 1999. / George Woodman. “A Classical Mystery,” 1996, gelatin silver print, 20 x 16 in. © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
George Woodman's essay and photographs in The Ohio Review, No. 60, 1999: READING ROOM
In 1999, The Ohio Review—a long-running literary journal published by the English Department at Ohio University—included a portfolio of thirteen photographs and an accompanying essay by George Woodman, appearing among pages of poetry, prose and fiction.
George Woodman. "Betty and George: 60 years of Matrimony," 2013, 24 x 19 1/2 in. Gelatin silver print | Betty and George on their honeymoon in Mexico, c. 1953. © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Woodman Family Foundation Archives
George Woodman. "Betty and George: 60 years of Matrimony," 2013, 24 x 19 1/2 in. Gelatin silver print © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Happy anniversary to Betty and George Woodman
Happy anniversary to Betty and George Woodman, who married on this day in 1953.
L to R: 1-4: “Dreamers and Voyagers Come to Detroit,” 1987. Installation views, Renaissance Center Station, Detroit, MI, 1987 | 5: Students laying tiles on the floor, Renaissance Center station, Detroit, MI, 1987 | 6-7: Production and silkscreening of tiles, Franco Pecchioli SRL, Borgo San Lorenzo, Tuscany, Italy | 8-9: Notes and sketches on modules’ designs and colors, 1986 | 10: Bullock, Lorinda. “A creator starts over. Renaissance indeed: tile art reborn.” Detroit Free Press, 17 November 2004 | 11-13: “Path Games,” 2004. Installation views, Renaissance Center Station, Detroit, MI, 2004 | 14: Drawing of modules for “Path Games." All artworks, sketches, and notes by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Woodman Family Foundation Archive.
George Woodman. “Dreamers and Voyagers Come to Detroit,” 1987. Installation view, Renaissance Center Station, Detroit, MI, 1987 © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Woodman Family Foundation Archive.
George Woodman's tile installations at Detroit People Mover's Renaissance Center station, Detroit, Michigan, 1987/2004. FROM THE ARCHIVES
In 1987, three years after his first ceramic tile public commission for Buffalo Metro Rail, New York, George Woodman realized an installation for the Detroit People Mover’s Renaissance Center station. A firm believer in public art, he sought to create a work that does more than simply impress at first glance but rather brings life to being in the station for commuters using the system daily.
Installation views, "George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978," DC Moore Gallery, New York, New York, 2025
CLOSING Saturday, May 3: "George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978," DC Moore Gallery, 2025
This week is your last chance to see George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978, an exhibition tracing the development of Woodman’s singular approach to pattern and color over a series of paintings rarely shown in New York in more than 40 years.
L to R: 1, 15: George Woodman, installation view of "George Woodman: Paintings 1962-1963," Henderson Gallery, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado | 2, 6, 10, 12-13: Installation view of "George Woodman: Paintings 1962-1963," Henderson Gallery, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado | 3: “End of the Alphabet,” c. 1963, 52 x 52 in. | 4: “The Magic Box,” c. 1963, 55 x 45 in. | 5: “Landscape (After the Death of Adonis),” 1963, 72 x 72 in. | 7: “Untitled,” c. 1962-63, dimensions unknown. | 8: “Cleopatra (With Asp),” c. 1963, 48 x 51 in. | 9: “April Cool” or “Buddhist Shrine” or “Diamond Gestalt,” 1963, 70 x 70 in. | 11: “Love is a Bridge,” c. 1963, 52 x 52 in. | 14: “Mid-West Landscape (With Fallout)," 1963, 48 x 80 in. All oil on canvas. All artworks by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
George Woodman, installation view of "George Woodman: Paintings 1962-1963," Henderson Gallery, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
George Woodman in "George Woodman: Paintings 1962-1963," Henderson Gallery, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
In December of 1963, George Woodman opened an exhibition of his recent paintings at the Henderson Gallery at University of Colorado, Boulder, where he also taught painting and philosophy of art. These paintings—made in 1962 and 1963—moved away from the loose abstraction he had previously applied to painting the landscape and towards an approach that recalled maps and aerial views.
L to R: 1: “Untitled,” c. 1970s, 72 x 108 in. Medium unknown | 2: Spread from “Criss-Cross Art Communications,” No. 6, published by Criss Cross Foundation, 1978 | 3: Various issues of “Criss-Cross Art Communications” | 4: “Untitled,” c. 1970s, dimensions and medium unknown | 5: “285” or “Bari” or “Winterreise,” 1975, 65 x 65 in. Acrylic on canvas | 6: “Tessellation Sky,” 1975, 54 1/2 x 54 1/2 in. Acrylic on canvas | 7: Spread from the exhibition catalogue for “19 Artists—Emergent Americans,” published by Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1981 | 8-9: Installation views, “19 Artists—Emergent Americans,” Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, 1981 | 10: “Double Reflection,” 1970, 66 x 66 in. Oil on canvas. All artworks by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
George Woodman. “Untitled,” c. 1970s, 72 x 108 in. Medium unknown © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
The Criss-Cross and Pattern & Decoration Movements. "George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978"
By the mid-70s, George Woodman’s singular approach to pattern painting—as harmony between color and form—was well established and recognized among artists and critics alike. Woodman’s canvases were part of the larger zeitgeist around pattern in the art of this period.
1: “Magic Mountain,” c. 1970, 66 x 54 in. Oil on canvas | 2: “Untitled,” 1969, 48 1/4 x 48 1/4 in. Acrylic on canvas | 3: “Cascade,” 1974, 36 x 36 in. Acrylic on canvas | 4: “Untitled,” 1974, 66 x 66 in. Acrylic and oil on canvas | 5: “Cloud,” 1969, 68 3/4 x 58 1/2 in. Oil on canvas | 6: “Untitled,” 1970, 54 1/4 x 54 1/4 in. Acrylic on canvas | 7: “Untitled,” c. 1974-76, 59 x 59 in. Acrylic on canvas | 8: “Color Octagon,” 1975, 83 x 83 in. Acrylic on canvas | 9: “Winterreise,” 1975, 85 x 85 in. Acrylic on canvas. All artworks by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
George Woodman. “Magic Mountain,” c. 1970, 66 x 54 in. Oil on canvas © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Idiosyncratic use of color. "George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978"
Pattern paintings made up of repeating forms can tend towards uniformity or sameness, but not so for George Woodman. Instead, he integrated color into his pattern systems as an equal to form rather than a subordinate, constructing compositions in which color steers and complicates the viewer’s perception.
L to R: 1: “A Gentle Tessellation,” 1966/1968, 43 1/4 x 43 1/4 in. Acrylic on canvas | 2: “Pattern on Trapezoid,” 1967, 58 x 42 in. Acrylic on canvas | 3: Spread from “Award Winning Artists: Southeast and Southwest,” published by the National Council on the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts, 1968 | 4: “Untitled,” 1970, 96 x 134 in. Acrylic on canvas | 5: “Untitled,” c. 1966, dimensions & medium unknown | 6: George Woodman’s studio, Boulder, Colorado, c. 1967. Woodman Family Foundation Archives | 7: “Equivocal Hexagon,” 1967, 48 x 48 in. Acrylic on canvas | 8: “Untitled,” 1969, 48 1/4 x 48 1/4 in. Acrylic on canvas. All artworks by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
George Woodman. “A Gentle Tessellation,” 1966/1968, 43 1/4 x 43 1/4 in. Acrylic on canvas © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
George Woodman's tessellations. "George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978"
Tessellations are a type of pattern in which one or more geometric shapes are repeated—and often rotated and reflected—to seamlessly cover a surface. In George Woodman’s case, that surface was a canvas.