STAFF PICKS:
‍Ambar Vasquez-Mitra, WFF’s Research Intern through Studio Institute’s Summer Arts Intern program:

Hi! I'm Ambar Vasquez-Mitra, a recent graduate from Middlebury College with a BA in History and Museum Studies and part of the Studio Institute Arts Intern Program. As this year's summer research intern at the Woodman Family Foundation, I've been tasked with organizing and compiling enhanced information on the numerous exhibitions of Francesca Woodman’s work over the past forty years. In working on this project, I've had the opportunity to dive into Woodman’s work and its different interpretations throughout the years in exhibitions and scholarly work. As a result of this research, I’ve found myself continuously drawn to her use of writing and markings in her photographs as a way to expand the artwork. Works like the artist books, Some Disordered Interior Geometries (1981) and Quaderno (1978) with pictures from her time in Italy and elsewhere, showcase her ability to intentionally amplify her imagery through these written additions. These pieces remind me of the work I've done with archival scrapbooks where images and writing come together to complete a story. These photographs from 1980 based on a “curlique” exemplify her continued interest and expansion upon this style combining writing and image. Her markings almost spill from the page, seemingly bringing the image to life and ultimately expand the presence of her model beyond the photograph.