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L to R: 1: Betty Woodman, “Ceramic Pictures of Korean Paintings: Rose Lattice Tree Vase, Tiger Lily Tree Vase, Evergreen Tree Vase, Lotus Tree Vase, Camellia Tree Vase,” 2001/2002, 37.5 x 10 x 1 ft. Glazed earthenware, clay, canvas | 2: Installation view, “Betty Woodman,” Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia, Missouri, 2002 | 3, Pair: Detail from Betty Woodman, “Cactus, Lotus, and Butterfly,” 2005 / Page from “Korean Art Book Vol. 6: Minhwa I” by Yoon Yeol-soo, Yekyung Publishing, Korea, 2000 | 4: Betty Woodman, “Cactus, Lotus, and Butterfly,” 2005, 120 x 90 x 12 in. Glazed earthenware, canvas | 5, Pair: Page from “Korean Art Book Vol. 6: Minhwa I” / Detail from Betty Woodman, “Cartoon of Roman Paintings: Santa Brigida,” 2005 | 6: Betty Woodman, “Cartoon of Roman Paintings: Santa Brigida,” 2005, 98 x 86 in. Terra sigillata, ink and wax on paper | 7, Pair: Detail from Betty Woodman, “Cartoon of Roman Paintings: Santa Brigida,” 2005 / Page from “Korean Art Book Vol 7: Minhwa II” by Yoon Yeol-soo, Yekyung Publishing, Korea, 2000 | 8: Spread from “Korean Art Book Vol 6: Minhwa I” with handwritten note by Betty Woodman | 9: Betty Woodman, “Siena: Ceramic Pictures of Korean Vases,” 2004, 96 x 84 x 9 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, clay, canvas | 10: “Korean Art Book” volumes 1, 2, 6, 7, from Betty Woodman’s collection. All Betty Woodman artworks © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Betty Woodman, “Ceramic Pictures of Korean Paintings: Rose Lattice Tree Vase, Tiger Lily Tree Vase, Evergreen Tree Vase, Lotus Tree Vase, Camellia Tree Vase,” 2001/2002, 37.5 x 10 x 1 ft. Glazed earthenware, clay, canvas © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Betty Woodman and works inspired by Korean folk painting
On a trip to South Korea in 2001, Betty Woodman was introduced to the Joseon Dynasty folk art (minhwa)—with motifs like vibrant scenes of peonies and lotuses. With these paintings in mind, she started a new series of wall-based works titled “Ceramic Pictures of Korean Paintings,” which she first showed at the Daum Museum in 2002 as a five-panel mural.
Photos, L to R: Betty Woodman in her New York studio, c. 1983 | Francesca Woodman, c. 1979-80. Photo: George Woodman | George Woodman in front of his paper tile installation, 1979 Woodman Family Foundation Archives. Artwork and photo by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Graphic with text: "WFF Housing Stability Grant for Artists / 3-year rent subsidies for 5 visual artists in NYC"
Announcing the WFF Housing Stability Grant for NYC-based visual artists
In recognition of the increasing unaffordability of rental housing in New York City and the housing insecurity it creates for artists, WFF will award grants of $30,000—distributed over three years—to five visual artists with the goal of improving their housing stability.
L to R: Group, T to B: Betty Woodman, “Athens,” 1991, 35 1/2 x 68 5/8 x 10 1/4 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, and paint / George Woodman, “Untitled,” c. 1966-68, 39 1/2 x 39 1/2 in. Acrylic on canvas / Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 1/8 x 5 1/4 in. Gelatin silver print | Betty Woodman, “Athens,” 1991, 35 1/2 x 68 5/8 x 10 1/4 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, and paint | George Woodman, “Untitled,” c. 1966-68, 39 1/2 x 39 1/2 in. Acrylic on canvas | Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 1977. Gelatin silver prints | Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 1/8 x 5 1/4 in. Gelatin silver print | Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 1/8 x 5 1/8 in. Gelatin silver print | Francesca Woodman, “Untitled,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 5/16 x 5 1/4 in. Gelatin silver print | Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 x 5 1/8 in. Gelatin silver print | Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 1/8 x 5 1/8 in. Gelatin silver print | Francesca Woodman, “2,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 in. Gelatin silver print All artworks © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Group, T to B: Betty Woodman, “Athens,” 1991 / George Woodman, “Untitled,” c. 1966-68 / Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Acquisition by the Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire, 2024
We are very pleased to announce the acquisition of a group of important works by Betty Woodman, Francesca Woodman, and George Woodman from the Foundation’s holdings by the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, New Hampshire.
L to R: 1: Betty Woodman, “Wallpaper,” 2013, 84 x 120 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint | 2, 9: Page from “The Cut-Outs of Henri Matisse” | 3: Betty Woodman, “Orange Rug with Clay Bones,” 2013, 105 1/4 x 47 x 1 in. Earthenware, canvas, acrylic paint | 4: Detail from Henri Matisse, “Oceania, the Sea,” 1948, 68 1/8 × 152 1/2 in. Linen, plain weave; screen printed. Produced by Zika Ascher, Ltd. Art Institute of Chicago. | 5: Detail from “Orange Rug with Clay Bones,” 2013 | 6: Betty Woodman, “Balustrade Relief Vase 05-1,” 2005, 55 x 48 x 9 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer | 7: Betty Woodman, "Outside and In," 2017, 75 1/2 x 120 x 10 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, canvas, wood | 8: Betty Woodman, “House of the South,” 1994-1996, 159 x 246 x 9 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, paint. Installation view from “The Art of Betty Woodman,” Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York, 2006 | 10: "The Cut-Outs of Henri Matisse” by John Elderfield, New York: George Braziller, 1978, from Betty Woodman’s collection. All Betty Woodman artworks © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. All Henri Matisse artworks © Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Betty Woodman, “Wallpaper,” 2013, 84 x 120 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Betty Woodman's works and Matisse's cut outs
Betty Woodman's eclecticism reflects a wide array of influences, including those from modernist French painters like Gauguin, Bonnard, and Matisse. Yet Woodman’s connection to Matisse transcends their shared use of vivid, exuberant colors. Both artists indulged in decorative impulses through their inventive use of positive and negative space.
L to R: Francesca Woodman, “Untitled," c. 1976, 4 7/8 x 5 1/8 in. Courtesy Elton John and David Furnish Collection. | Exhibition poster, “Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection” with Harley Weir, “Boys Don’t Cry, Senegal, 2015,” 2015 © Harley Weir | Francesca Woodman, “Untitled,” 1979, 5 7/8 x 5 13/16 in. | Detail from installation view of “Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection," Victoria and Albert Museum, 2024. Image courtesy and copyright Victoria and Albert Museum & James Retief | Exhibition graphic, “The ‘70s Lens: Reimagining Documentary Photography” with Anthony Barboza, “New York City,” 1970s © Anthony Barboza Photography | Francesca Woodman, “Untitled,” c. 1977-78, 5 9/16 x 5 3/8 in. | Francesca Woodman, “House #3,” c. 1975-76, from the “Abandoned House” series, 6 3/8 x 6 7/16 in. All Francesca Woodman works gelatin silver prints © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / DACS, London
Francesca Woodman, “Untitled," c. 1976, 4 7/8 x 5 1/8 in. Gelatin silver print. Courtesy Elton John and David Furnish Collection. © Woodman Family Foundation / DACS, London
ON VIEW: Francesca Woodman in “Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection” and “The ‘70s Lens: Reimagining Documentary Photography,” 2024
This fall, check out two group exhibitions showcasing works by Francesca Woodman. Known for her performative approach to photography, Woodman stages the female body and intervenes in the environment to create narratives rich in metaphor.
Francesca Woodman. "Untitled," c. 1975-78, 9 1/2 x 12 1/4 in. (24.13 x 31.12 cm). Gelatin silver print © Woodman Family Foundation / VISDA, Copenhagen.
ON VIEW: "OCEAN," Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk, Denmark, 2024
This exhibition delves into the depths where imagination meets reality, considering ways the sea has been a source of adventure and destruction throughout history.
L to R: 1: Betty Woodman. “Edo Fashion Ladies,” 2006, glazed earthenware, 34 1/2 x 32 1/2 x 7 in. | 2: Page from “Fashion of Edo: Women's Dress in Ukiyo-e Paintings 1989." Japan Institute of Arts and Crafts, 1989 | 3 & 7: Betty Woodman. “After the Bath,” 2011, glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, 35 x 37 1/2 x 8 in. | 4: Pair: Detail from Betty Woodman, “After the Bath” / Ippitsusai Bunchō, “Kagiya Osen,” from “Japanese Prints” by Gabriele Fahr-Becker, Barnes & Noble Inc., 2003 | 5: Detail from Betty Woodman, “After the Bath” | 6: Ishikawa Toyonobu, “After the Bath,” page from “Japanese Prints” by Gabriele Fahr-Becker | 8: Spread from “Edo Chiyogami” by Hirose Tatsugoro, Seigensha, 2002 | 9: “Fashion of Edo: Women's Dress in Ukiyo-e Paintings 1989." Japan Institute of Arts and Crafts, 1989, with torn page | 10: Selected publications on Japanese art from Betty Woodman’s collection All Betty Woodman artworks © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Betty Woodman. “Edo Fashion Ladies,” 2006, glazed earthenware, 34 1/2 x 32 1/2 x 7 in. © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Betty Woodman’s books on Japanese textiles and woodblock prints
Over the past few months, the Foundation delved into Betty Woodman's and George Woodman’s personal library as part of our ongoing work to build a study center. Betty Woodman’s books on Japanese textiles and woodblock prints, in particular, are extensively bookmarked, with pages cut and ripped away by the artist. She often amassed many of these books on her travels regardless of whether she could read the language, choosing instead to let the images weave themselves into her visual lexicon.
L to R: Pair: “Athens,” 1991 / “Massenet,” ed. 8/8, 2010 | “Athens,” 1991, Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, and paint. 35 1/2 x 68 5/8 x 10 1/4 in. | “Massenet,” ed. 8/8, 2010, Soft-paste porcelain biscuit. © Sèvres - Manufacture et musée nationaux, 2013.D.8587.1 / 20013.D.8587.2. Photographer: Gerard Jonca. All works by Betty Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Pair: “Athens,” 1991 / “Massenet,” ed. 8/8, 2010. Works by Betty Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
ON VIEW: New Betty Woodman exhibitions, September 2024
This month, explore two group exhibitions in New York showcasing diverse works by Betty Woodman from the 1990s and 2000s.
L to R: George Woodman. "Daphne," 1982, 78 x 60 in. Acrylic on canvas. Image courtesy DC Moore Gallery. Artwork © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / Installation view, "Who Is There?", DC Moore Gallery, New York, 2024
George Woodman. "Daphne," 1982, 78 x 60 in. Acrylic on canvas. Image courtesy DC Moore Gallery. Artwork © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
ON VIEW: George Woodman in "Who Is There?", DC Moore Gallery, New York, 2024
This group exhibition of personal, expressive landscapes features works that merge abstraction and representation, depicting threshold spaces and hybridized forms where the observed and the imaginative meet.
L to R: Pair: Julia Margaret Cameron. “Il Penseroso,” 1865, 252 x 202 mm. Albumen print. The Victoria and Albert Museum / Francesca Woodman. “Self-Portrait on That Same Day,” c. 1977, 5 5/16 x 5 1/4 in. Gelatin silver print. / Images 2-7: Installation views, “Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In,” Institut Valencià d'Art Modern, Valencia, Spain, 2024. Images courtesy Institut Valencià d'Art Modern. Photo: Miguel Lorenzo / Pair: Julia Margaret Cameron. “Marie Spartali,” 1870, 362 x 267 mm. Albumen silver print. The J. Paul Getty Museum / Francesca Woodman. “Space²," from the “Space²“ series, 5 11/16 x 5 11/16 in. Gelatin silver print. All Francesca Woodman artworks © Woodman Family Foundation / VEGAP, Madrid.
Pair: Julia Margaret Cameron. “Il Penseroso,” 1865, The Victoria and Albert Museum / Francesca Woodman. “Self-Portrait on That Same Day,” c. 1977 © Woodman Family Foundation / VEGAP, Madrid.
ON VIEW: “Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In” in Spain
"Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In" is currently on view in Spain through October 20.
L to R: Brooke Holmes, WFF Collections Curator Katarina Jerinic, and WFF Executive Director Lissa McClure in conversation on Francesca Woodman, Gagosian, New York.
In conversation: Brooke Holmes, Katarina Jerinic, and Lissa McClure on Francesca Woodman
Join Brooke Holmes, professor of Classics at Princeton University, and Lissa McClure and Katarina Jerinic, executive director and collections curator, respectively, at the Woodman Family Foundation as they discuss Francesca Woodman’s preoccupation with classical themes and archetypes, her exploration of the body as sculpture, and her development of photography’s capacity to invest representation with allegory and metaphor.
L to R: Installation view, “Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In” at National Portrait Gallery, London, 2024 / Julia Margaret Cameron. "Teachings from the Elgin Marbles," 1867, 284 x 233 mm. Albumen print. Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford. / Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” from the “Caryatid” series, 1980, 79 1/2 x 36 1/4 in. (201.93 x 92.075 cm). Diazotype. / Julia Margaret Cameron. “2d. version study after the Elgin Marbles,” 1867, 582 x 465 mm. Albumen print. Victoria and Albert Museum. / Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” from the “Caryatid” series, 1980, 71 1/4 x 36 1/4 in. (180.975 x 92.075 cm). Diazotype. / Julia Margaret Cameron. “Isabel Bateman,” 1874, 331 x 252 mm. Albumen print. Wilson Centre for Photography. / Installation view, “Portraits to Dream In” / Julia Margaret Cameron. “[A Sibyl]”, 1870, 350 x 273 mm. Albumen print. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. / Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” 1980, 19 x 17 1/8 in. (48.26 x 43.498 cm). Diazotype. All Francesca Woodman artworks © Woodman Family Foundation / DACS, London.
Installation view, “Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In” at National Portrait Gallery, London, 2024
ON VIEW: “Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In,” National Portrait Gallery, London, England
"Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In" pairs the work of two of the most influential women in the history of photography, revealing a shared space in each artists’ approach to portraiture which curator Magdalene Keaney describes as “the Dream Space."