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George Woodman
L to R: 1, 3, 5: “Untitled,” c. 1973-74 | 2: George Woodman with sculpture, Antella, Italy, c. 1970s | 4: “Untitled,” 1975, 60 x 60 in. Acrylic on canvas | 6: “5 Sided Column,” c. 1973 | 7: “Untitled,” c. 1973 | 8: “Untitled,” c. 1974 | 9-10: Photographed sketches and notes, undated | 11: “Untitled,” c. 1964. Pyramid-shaped painting suspended from a tree in Woodman’s backyard, Boulder, Colorado. All sketches and artworks by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
George Woodman. “Untitled,” c. 1973-74 © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Woodman Family Foundation Archives
George Woodman's geometric sculptures. "George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978"
George Woodman’s tessellated pattern paintings built upon observations made in the three-dimensional realm of architecture, specifically in the tiled surfaces that covered walls and floors as they emerged from and receded into space.
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L to R: 1: “A Gentle Tessellation,” 1966/1968, 43 1/4 x 43 1/4 in. Acrylic on canvas | 2: “Pattern on Trapezoid,” 1967, 58 x 42 in. Acrylic on canvas | 3: Spread from “Award Winning Artists: Southeast and Southwest,” published by the National Council on the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts, 1968 | 4: “Untitled,” 1970, 96 x 134 in. Acrylic on canvas | 5: “Untitled,” c. 1966, dimensions & medium unknown | 6: George Woodman’s studio, Boulder, Colorado, c. 1967. Woodman Family Foundation Archives | 7: “Equivocal Hexagon,” 1967, 48 x 48 in. Acrylic on canvas | 8: “Untitled,” 1969, 48 1/4 x 48 1/4 in. Acrylic on canvas. All artworks by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
George Woodman. “A Gentle Tessellation,” 1966/1968, 43 1/4 x 43 1/4 in. Acrylic on canvas © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
George Woodman's tessellations. "George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978"
Tessellations are a type of pattern in which one or more geometric shapes are repeated—and often rotated and reflected—to seamlessly cover a surface. In George Woodman’s case, that surface was a canvas.
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L to R: 1: George Woodman, “Piazza San Francesco di Paola,” 1966, 32 x 32 in. Oil on canvas | 2: George Woodman, “Untitled,” 1964, 49 x 49 in. Oil on canvas | 3: George Woodman, “Untitled,” c. 1965, 57 x 68 in. Acrylic on canvas | 4: George Woodman, “Untitled,” 1967, 65 x 65 in. Oil on canvas | 5: George Woodman, “Rainbow Funnel,” c. 1967-69, 63 x 39 1/2 in. Acrylic on canvas | 6: George Woodman, Notes from a lecture on Sol LeWitt, c. 1976. Woodman Family Foundation Archives. | 7: George Woodman, Notes from a lecture on Pattern and Art, c. 1979. Woodman Family Foundation Archives. | 8: Sol LeWitt, “Wall Drawing 1: Drawing Series II 18 (A & B),” 1968, each 48 x 48 in. Graphite on wall. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art © The LeWitt Estate | 9: Sol LeWitt, “Cubic-Modular Wall Structure, Black,” 1966, 43 1/2 x 43 1/2 x 9 3/8 in. Painted wood. Museum of Modern Art © The LeWitt Estate | 10: Sol LeWitt, “Serial Project, I (ABCD),” 1966, 20 in. x 13 ft. 7 in. x 13 ft. 7 in. Baked enamel on steel units over baked enamel on aluminum. Museum of Modern Art © The LeWitt Estate | 11: Frank Stella, “Harran II,” 1967, 10 x 20 ft. Polymer on fluorescent polymer paint on canvas. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum © Estate of Frank Stella | 12: Frank Stella, “Gray Scramble,” 1968-69, 69 x 69 in. Oil on canvas. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum © Estate of Frank Stella | 13: Alfred Jensen, In-text plate (folio 13) from “A Pythagorean Notebook,” 1965, 15 9/16 × 20 11/16 in. Composition from illustrated book with 20 lithographs, published by Tamarind Lithography Workshop. Museum of Modern Art © Estate of Alfred Jensen | 14: Alfred Jensen, “That Is It,” 1966, 42 x 36 in. Oil on canvas. Museum of Modern Art © Estate of Alfred Jensen | 15: Alfred Jensen, “The Acrobatic Rectangle Per, Eleven,” 1967, 68 x 48 1/2 in. Oil on canvas. Whitney Museum of American Art © Estate of Alfred Jensen | 16: Agnes Martin, “Orchards of Lightning,” 1966, 11 3/4 x 9 3/8 in. Ink on paper. Museum of Modern Art © Estate of Agnes Martin | 17: Agnes Martin, “Untitled,” 1963, 8 x 8 in. Brush and ink and pen and ink on paper. Whitney Museum of American Art © Estate of Agnes Martin | 18: Agnes Martin, “Untitled,” 1960, 70 x 70 in. Oil on canvas. Dia Art Foundation © Estate of Agnes Martin. All George Woodman artworks © Woodman Family Foundation. All artworks © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
George Woodman, “Piazza San Francesco di Paola,” 1966, 32 x 32 in. Oil on canvas © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
George Woodman in dialogue with New York minimalist painters. “George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978”
In her essay for the exhibition’s catalogue—“The Mind as it Measures: George Woodman’s Patterns”—curator Rebecca Skafsgaard Lowery discusses Woodman’s approach to pattern and color in the context of his contemporaries.
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L to R: 1: George Woodman, Alhambra, Granada, Spain, c. 1965 | 2, 5, 9: Tile patterns in Alhambra, Granada, Spain, 1965 | 3: “7 Colors in 4’s,” 1966, 67 x 67 in. Acrylic on canvas | 4: Alhambra Palace baths, Granada, Spain. Photo © Guido Montanes Castillo | 6: “Untitled,” 1966, 66 1/2 x 66 1/2 in. Oil on canvas | 7: Sketch for painting, c. 1965-66 | 8: “San Francisco di Paolo” or “Axe Pattern,” 1966, 43 x 43 in. Acrylic on canvas | 10: Charles Woodman and Francesca Woodman, Alhambra, Granada, Spain, c. 1965 | 11: Betty Woodman, Alhambra, Granada, Spain, c. 1965. All artworks, sketches, and photos by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
George Woodman, Alhambra, Granada, Spain, c. 1965. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
George Woodman's travels to Alhambra, Granada, Spain. "George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978," DC Moore Gallery, New York
In 1965, George Woodman visited Granada, Spain to see the Alhambra, the iconic monument to Islamic architecture where geometry, ornamentation and architecture harmoniously converge in a multitude of tiled and carved surfaces.
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L to R: 1: George Woodman’s studio, Tuscany, Italy, c. 1965-66 | 2: “Untitled,” 1965, 63 x 94 in. Oil on canvas | 3: “Untitled,” 1967, 31 3/4 x 31 3/4 in. Oil on canvas | 4: “Untitled,” c. 1965-66, dimensions unknown. Oil on canvas | 5: “Untitled,” c. 1966, 40 x 40 in. Oil on canvas | 6: “Cosmati,” 1966, 60 x 60 in. Oil on canvas | 7: Cosmati tile detail Cattedrale di Anagni, Anagni, Italy © Museo della Cattedrale di Anagni | 8: “Untitled,” c. 1966, 59 1/2 x 59 in. Oil on canvas | 9: Sketch for painting, c. 1965-66 | 10: “Trajan’s Column,” 1965/1966, 33 1/2 x 201 in. Acrylic on canvas | 11: Sketch for painting, undated | 12-14: Details from “Trajan’s Column,” 1965/1966 | 15: Exhibition announcement, “George E. Woodman: The Italian Paintings,”University Memorial Center Art Gallery, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 1966. All sketches and artworks by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
George Woodman’s studio, Tuscany, Italy, c. 1965-66. Artworks by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
George Woodman's year in Florence, Italy. "George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978," DC Moore Gallery, New York
From the fall of 1965 through the summer of 1966, George Woodman spent the year living and working near Florence, Italy. It was in this year that the presence of pattern and attention to color that characterized his earlier paintings took a definitive turn.
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CLOSING SOON: The Woodman Family Foundation Housing Stability Grant for Artists
Applications for the Woodman Family Foundation Housing Stability Grant for Artists (WFF HSG) will close next week on Tuesday, APRIL 8.
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L to R: 1: “Untitled,” c. 1970-71, 66 3/8 x 66 3/8 in. | 2: “Untitled,” c. 1971, 52 x 52 in. | 3: “7 Colors in 4’s,” 1966, 67 x 67 in. | 4: “Untitled,” 1968, 63 x 98 1/4 in. | 5: “Untitled,” 1975, 60 x 60 in. | 6: “Untitled,” 1978, 49 x 49 in. All acrylic on canvas. All artworks by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
OPENING April 3: "George Woodman: A Democracy of Parts, Paintings 1966-1978," DC Moore Gallery, New York, 2025
Focusing on geometric abstractions from a significant period within the artist's six-decade career, this exhibition traces the development of George Woodman's singular approach to pattern.
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L to R: 1, 15: George Woodman, installation view of "George Woodman: Paintings 1962-1963," Henderson Gallery, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado | 2, 6, 10, 12-13: Installation view of "George Woodman: Paintings 1962-1963," Henderson Gallery, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado | 3: “End of the Alphabet,” c. 1963, 52 x 52 in. | 4: “The Magic Box,” c. 1963, 55 x 45 in. | 5: “Landscape (After the Death of Adonis),” 1963, 72 x 72 in. | 7: “Untitled,” c. 1962-63, dimensions unknown. | 8: “Cleopatra (With Asp),” c. 1963, 48 x 51 in. | 9: “April Cool” or “Buddhist Shrine” or “Diamond Gestalt,” 1963, 70 x 70 in. | 11: “Love is a Bridge,” c. 1963, 52 x 52 in. | 14: “Mid-West Landscape (With Fallout)," 1963, 48 x 80 in. All oil on canvas. All artworks by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
George Woodman, installation view of "George Woodman: Paintings 1962-1963," Henderson Gallery, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
George Woodman in "George Woodman: Paintings 1962-1963," Henderson Gallery, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
In December of 1963, George Woodman opened an exhibition of his recent paintings at the Henderson Gallery at University of Colorado, Boulder, where he also taught painting and philosophy of art. These paintings—made in 1962 and 1963—moved away from the loose abstraction he had previously applied to painting the landscape and towards an approach that recalled maps and aerial views.
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L to R: George Woodman. “285” or “Bari” or “Winterreise”, 1975, 65 x 65 in. Acrylic on canvas | Francesca Woodman. “Untitled”, c. 1975-78, 6 5/8 x 6 9/16 in. Gelatin silver print | Betty Woodman. “Joined Vases”, 1972, 11 1/2 x 23 x 10 in. Porcelain | Francesca Woodman. “Untitled”, c. 1979-80, 11 x 14 in. Gelatin silver print | George Woodman. “Study in White: Marble from Michelangelo’s Quarry”, 2004, 16 x 20 in. Gelatin silver print | Betty Woodman. “Boys”, 2013, 28 x 28 x 7 in. Glazed earthenware | George Woodman. “Untitled”, 1974, 84 x 84 in. Acrylic on canvas | Detail from Betty Woodman. “Aeolian Pyramid”, 2001/2006, approx. 150 x 168 x 100 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, paint | George Woodman. “Tessellation Sky”, 1975, 54 1/2 x 54 1/2 in. Acrylic on canvas | Betty Woodman. “Nina’s Room”, 2012, 86 x 107 x 12 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, canvas | Francesca Woodman. “Untitled”, c. 1977-78, 3 13/16 x 3 7/8 in. Gelatin silver print | Betty Woodman. “Judith’s Window”, 2012, 59 1/2 x 43 1/2 x 10 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, canvas, wood | Francesca Woodman. “Untitled”, 1980, 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 in. Gelatin silver print | Betty Woodman. “Divided Vases: Window”, 2012, 33 1/4 x 42 x 7 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, paint | Francesca Woodman. “Untitled”, 1976, 5 1/8 x 5 1/8 in. Gelatin silver print | George Woodman. “Untitled”, c. 1980, dimensions unknown. Acrylic on canvas | Francesca Woodman. “Untitled”, c. 1979-80, 3 7/8 x 5 5/8 in. Gelatin silver print | Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” c. 1979-80, 5 1/2 x 5 5/8 in. Gelatin silver print | George Woodman. “Christening Dress and Roman Sculpture (A Roman Fragment with a Christening Dress)”, 2011, 42 x 38 1/2 in. Oil on gelatin silver print | Betty Woodman. “White Amphoras”, 2004, 33 x 57 x 12 in. Glazed earthenware. All artworks © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
George Woodman. “285” or “Bari” or “Winterreise”, 1975, 65 x 65 in. Acrylic on canvas © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
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The Woodmans and the use of white
Betty Woodman and George Woodman are often celebrated for their exuberant use of color, while Francesca Woodman is best known for her dramatic black-and-white photographs, filled with shades of grey. Working across different mediums and methods, the Woodman artists used white—and the absence of color—to fascinating effects.
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L to R: "Hymn to Classicism," 1993, 20 x 24 in. Gelatin silver print - "Psyche and Amor," 1993, 20 x 16 in. Gelatin silver print | "Psyche and Amor in the Wisteria," 1988, 20 x 16 in. Gelatin silver print | "Psyche, Amor and Iris," 1988, 20 x 16 in. Gelatin silver print | "Psyche, Amor and Sara," 2010, 16 5/16 x 22 5/8 in. Oil on gelatin silver print | "Canova Museum," 2010, 42 x 36 in. Oil on gelatin silver print. All artworks by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
George Woodman. "Hymn to Classicism," 1993, 20 x 24 in. Gelatin silver print © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Cupid and Psyche's divine love in George Woodman's photographs
Neoclassical beauty, particularly as depicted through sculptures of embracing lovers, is a recurring theme in George Woodman’s photographs—especially the myth of Psyche and Cupid’s divine love.
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NOW OPEN: The Woodman Family Foundation Housing Stability Grant for Artists
The Woodman Family Foundation Housing Stability Grant for Artists (WFF HSG) is now open for applications
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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
Thrilled to announce our partnership with NYFA on the inaugural WOODMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION HOUSING STABILITY GRANT for ARTISTS (WFF HSG). In recognition of the increasing unaffordability of rental housing in New York City and the housing insecurity it creates for artists, we will award grants of $30,000—distributed over three years—to five visual artists with the goal of improving their housing stability.
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