News

Frescos, patterns, and mosaics: "Betty Woodman and George Woodman," Charleston, East Sussex, England, 2023

L to R: Pair: George Woodman. “Piazza San Francesco di Paola,” 1965. 32 x 32 in. Oil on canvas / Betty Woodman. “Aztec Vase and Carpet: April,” 2016. 38 1/2 x 58 x 43 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, paint, and canvas / Installation view: George Woodman. “Piazza San Francesco di Paola,” 1965 / Betty Woodman. “Aztec Vase and Carpet: April,” 2016 / Betty Woodman. “Wallpaper 19,” 2017 / Pair: Betty Woodman. “Wallpaper 19,” 2017. 65 x 59 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, and acrylic paint / George Woodman. Paper Tile Installation, 1982. Dimensions variable / Installation view: Betty Woodman. “Aztec Vase and Carpet: April,” 2016 / Betty Woodman. “Wallpaper 19,” 2017 / George Woodman. Paper Tile Installation, 1982 / Betty Woodman. “My House,” 2014. 80 x 84 x 10 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, canvas, and wood / George Woodman. “Pitti, Medea, Roses,” c. 1988. 41 1/4 x 72 in. Gelatin silver print / Betty Woodman. “Santa Barbara,” 2005. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, paint, and canvas / George Woodman. “Cosmati,” 1966. 60 x 60 in. Oil on canvas / Installation view: George Woodman, "The Rochester Carpet," 1984, Bevier Gallery, RIT, Rochester, New York. Woodman Family Foundation Archives / Betty Woodman. “Aztec Vase and Carpet #3,” 2012. 35 x 85 x 43 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, and canvas. All Charleston installation views: "Betty Woodman and George Woodman" at Charleston 2023. © The Charleston Trust; photograph: James Bellorini.
L to R: Pair: George Woodman. “Piazza San Francesco di Paola,” 1965. 32 x 32 in. Oil on canvas / Betty Woodman. “Aztec Vase and Carpet: April,” 2016. 38 1/2 x 58 x 43 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, paint, and canvas / Installation view: George Woodman. “Piazza San Francesco di Paola,” 1965 / Betty Woodman. “Aztec Vase and Carpet: April,” 2016 / Betty Woodman. “Wallpaper 19,” 2017 / Pair: Betty Woodman. “Wallpaper 19,” 2017. 65 x 59 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, and acrylic paint / George Woodman. Paper Tile Installation, 1982. Dimensions variable / Installation view: Betty Woodman. “Aztec Vase and Carpet: April,” 2016 / Betty Woodman. “Wallpaper 19,” 2017 / George Woodman. Paper Tile Installation, 1982 / Betty Woodman. “My House,” 2014. 80 x 84 x 10 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, canvas, and wood / George Woodman. “Pitti, Medea, Roses,” c. 1988. 41 1/4 x 72 in. Gelatin silver print / Betty Woodman. “Santa Barbara,” 2005. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, paint, and canvas / George Woodman. “Cosmati,” 1966. 60 x 60 in. Oil on canvas / Installation view: George Woodman, "The Rochester Carpet," 1984, Bevier Gallery, RIT, Rochester, New York. Woodman Family Foundation Archives / Betty Woodman. “Aztec Vase and Carpet #3,” 2012. 35 x 85 x 43 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, and canvas. All Charleston installation views: "Betty Woodman and George Woodman" at Charleston 2023. © The Charleston Trust; photograph: James Bellorini.

March 25, 2023 through September 10, 2023
Charleston
charleston.org.uk

The exhibition at Charleston explores ways that Betty Woodman’s and George Woodman’s shared life and experiences over more than six decades found expression in the works that emerged from each artists’ studio.

Fragmented frescos glimpsed in Italian churches and Roman ruins, geometry noticed in Cosmati floor mosaics, and patterns seen on tile walls in Spain, Turkey, Morocco, Mexico and Portugal provided decades-worth of ideas for both artists, realized on the floor and on the wall.

It was during an influential year in Italy from 1965-66—which led Betty and George to purchase their home and studios in Antella—that George made his first pattern paintings based on 13th century mosaics and the floors of ancient Italian churches. Nearly 50 years later, Betty combined a canvas “carpet” with ceramic shards and a richly patterned vase into her Vase and Carpet sculptures—a kind of painting for the floor. George’s paper tile installations of the 1980s moved modular patterns across walls and floors, while Betty’s canvas and ceramic paintings of the 2010s mimicked the walls and floors of Italian churches and other interior spaces in two- and three-dimensions. George incorporated images of these architectural elements directly into his own trompe-l’oeil compositions of layered photographs within photographs.

To learn more about the exhibition, click here.

Back

Heading

Heading 1

Heading 2

Heading 3

Heading 4

Heading 5
Heading 6

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.

Block quote

Ordered list

  1. Item 1
  2. Item 2
  3. Item 3

Unordered list

  • Item A
  • Item B
  • Item C

Text link

Bold text

Emphasis

Superscript

Subscript

Categories:
Tags:
Back