Betty Woodman and George Woodman

In the 1980s, George Woodman’s rigorous pattern paintings based in geometric abstraction began to incorporate more representational motifs, including figures, flowers and architectural details. This resulted in a complex layering of forms and colors into foreground and background.

‍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. Art history significantly influenced them both, as can be seen in many of the works on view at Charleston as well as numerous other works in the Foundation’s collection, as shown here.

This exhibition at Charleston—the home and studio of artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant—centers on Betty and George Woodman’s prolific time in Antella, Italy, where they lived and worked together for part each year for nearly 50 years. In addition to presenting a range of artworks exploring the couple’s mutual influences and their ongoing dialogue in a variety of media, the exhibition includes archival photographs documenting their home, life and work in Antella.

Read Rahul Kumar's interview with Charleston curator Emily Hill in "STIR" about the exhibition "Betty Woodman and George Woodman" on view now through September 10, 2023 at Charleston, East Sussex, UK.

Representing a decades-long dialogue in ceramics and paint, “Betty Woodman and George Woodman” brings together the artists’ vibrant ceramics, vivid abstract paintings, radical assemblages, and photographs, illuminated by archival materials. Focused on the couple’s prolific time at their farmhouse in Antella, Italy—where they lived and worked for part of each year for nearly fifty years—the exhibition explores the artists’ mutual influences and their shared life immersed in art, culture, travel and experimentation, reflected in kindred palettes and patterns.

“Betty Woodman and George Woodman” is the first UK exhibition to show both artists' work together, celebrating the work of ground-breaking American ceramic artist Betty Woodman and the painter and photographer George Woodman.