L to R: All artworks by Betty Woodman. “Ladies Engaged in Unnecessary Activities,” 2017. 36 x 180 x 72 in / “Jules & Jim,” 2016. 9 x 36 x 15 in. All glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, paint, fabric.
Betty Woodman. “Ladies Engaged in Unnecessary Activities,” 2017. 36 x 180 x 72 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, paint, fabric.
Betty Woodman, "Fabric Girls," 2002-2017: STAFF PICKS
Hafsa Habib, The Woodman Family Foundation’s Archive & Library Intern through the Studio Institute’s Summer Arts Intern program: When I came across Betty Woodman's "Fabric Girls" series, I immediately was drawn to the colorful sculptures that were each meticulously adorned in fabric. The dynamic poses of the figures give them each a life of their own.
L to R: The Woodman family and friends throughout the years in Antella, Italy, c. 1960s-2010s.
The Woodman family and friends, Antella, Italy, c. 1960s.
The breakfast nook, Antella, Italy, c. 1960s-2010s: From the Archives...
For over fifty years, the Woodman family has enjoyed many meals and conversations in the breakfast nook at their farmhouse in Antella, Italy. Built in a circular space that had originally housed a brick oven, the nook overlooks the hills of Tuscany and spectacular sunsets.
L to R: Betty Woodman and George Woodman, Boulder, Colorado, c. 1980s-90s / Betty Woodman and George Woodman featured in “Daily Camera,” February 14, 1993.
Betty Woodman and George Woodman featured in “Boulder Camera,” February 14, 1993.
Betty Woodman and George Woodman featured in "Daily Camera," February 14, 1993: From the Archives...
Happy anniversary to George and Betty Woodman! They were married on this day in 1953. In this 1993 profile in the Daily Camera, “Boulder’s best known international couple least known in their hometown” reflects on their art and their shared commitment to it and each other.
L to R: Various installation views: "Pitti rivisatto,” Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy, 1997 / All artworks by George Woodman. Image 2: “Pitti, Medea, Roses,” c. 1988. 41 1/4 x 72 in / Image 4: “Untitled,” 1990. 41 1/4 x 78 in / Image 6: “Untitled,” c. 1990s. 24 x 20 in / Image 9: “Untitled,” 1990. 41 1/4 x 59 in. All gelatin silver prints.
Installation view, "Pitti rivisatto,” Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy, 1997.
George Woodman, “Pitti rivisatto," Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy, 1997: From the Archives...
Twenty-five years ago this month, George Woodman’s solo exhibition, "Pitti rivisatto," opened at the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, and remained on view all summer long. His layered black and white photographs take this Renaissance palace as their subject, but also as an opportunity to reflect on time and the experiences carried within each viewer.
L to R: 1-2: "Segno: Notiziario di arte contemporanea," Issue 9, summer 1978 / Francesca Woodman. "From Space2,” Providence, Rhode Island, 1976. 6 3/8 x 6 3/8 in. Gelatin silver print.
"Segno: Notiziario di arte contemporanea," Issue 9, summer 1978.
Francesca Woodman, Segno Magazine, 1978: From the Archives...
In the summer of 1978, Francesca Woodman’s photograph “Space 2” was featured in the Italian contemporary art magazine “Segno.” In the accompanying text, she explained that her original idea for the image came from her desire to illustrate literary metaphors but evolved over a group of photographs into a kind of story following a figure who explores these metaphors.
L to R: Images 1-6: Betty Woodman. “Impruneta Flower Pots,” c. 1998-2004. Variable dimensions. Terra cotta. Views in Antella, Italy / Betty Woodman with Tullio Orlandi, Italy, c. 1998-2004.
Betty Woodman. “Impruneta Flower Pots,” c. 1998-2004. Variable dimensions. Terra cotta. Views in Antella, Italy.
Betty Woodman, "Impruneta Flowers Pots," c. 1998-2004, Antella, Italy: From the Archives...
Over summers spent in Antella, Italy, Betty Woodman often developed projects which could only be realized there. From 1998-2004, she collaborated with a pottery in Impruneta—a nearby town renowned for its terra cotta clay—enlivening their standard-issue garden planters with her vase-shaped façades and signature brushstrokes.
.L to R: Artworks by George Woodman. "War Sadness Escape," 1999. 42 x 39 in. Gelatin silver print / Images 2 & 4: Installation views, “Contrapposto & Other Stories,” Jeff Bailey Gallery, New York, 2014 / "Boboli: Fountain of Neptune,” 1997. 71 3/4 x and 41 1/4 in. Gelatin silver print.
George Woodman. “War Sadness Escape,” 1999. 42 x 39 in. Gelatin silver print.
George Woodman's camera obscura photographs in "Contrapposto & Other Stories," Jeff Bailey Gallery, New York, 2014: From the Archives...
Summertime is here again, and each year it has brought with it a fresh crop of summer group shows around New York City. Here’s one from 2014: George Woodman’s camera obscura photographs were included in “Contrapposto & Other Stories,” curated by Katia Rosenthal at Jeff Bailey Gallery in Chelsea.
Betty Woodman. “Portuguese Baroque,” 2013. 18 1/4 x 25 x 8 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, paint.
Betty Woodman. “Portuguese Baroque,” 2013. 18 1/4 x 25 x 8 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, paint.
Betty Woodman in "Women's Work," Lyndhurst Mansion, Tarrytown, New York, May 26-September 26, 2022
Betty Woodman in “Women’s Work,” Lyndhurst Mansion, Tarrytown, New York. On view through September 26, 2022.
Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” New York, 1979. 5 7/8 x 5 7/8 in. Gelatin silver print.
Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” New York, 1979. 5 7/8 x 5 7/8 in. Gelatin silver print.
Francesca Woodman in "Feminist Avant-Garde of the 1970s," Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia, May 19-June 24, 2022
As part of an extensive international exhibition tour, “Feminist Avant-Garde of the 1970s” opens today at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina in Novi Sad, Serbia. Organized by the Sammlung Verbund and drawing on works from their in-depth collections, the exhibition presents photography, video, film and performance by seventy-eight pioneering female artists of the 1970s, including photographs by Francesca Woodman. On view through June 24th.
L to R: Betty Woodman, Boulder, Colorado, c. 1960s / 2-3: Betty Woodman, Antella, Italy, c. 2010s.
Betty Woodman, Boulder, Colorado, c. 1960s.
Betty Woodman, born on this day in 1930: From the Archives...
Betty Woodman, life-long lover of flowers of all stripes, was born on this day in 1930. Happy birthday, Betty!
Francesca Woodman. “Caryatid B,” New York, 1980. 71.2 x 36.25 in. Archival pigment estate print.
Francesca Woodman. “Caryatid B,” New York, 1980. 71.2 x 36.25 in. Archival pigment estate print.
Francesca Woodman in "Women and Change," Arken Museum of Modern Art, Denmark, February 5-August 15, 2022
“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).
L to R: George Woodman in his early studio, Albuquerque, c. 1950s / George Woodman with one of his paintings, Boulder, c. 1970s / George Woodman in his studio, New York, c. 2000s.
George Woodman in his early studio, Albuquerque, c. 1950s.
George Woodman, born on this day in 1932: From the Archives...
"At age fourteen I decided to become an artist, ambition enough for my life,” George Woodman once wrote. And over the next seven decades, he did just that, working fervently as a painter and photographer, and also as a writer and professor. Today, we celebrate George, who was born on this day in 1932!