An Insight into
Francesca Woodman
By Rosie Knightley
A self- Representing Artist/photographer, Being both Model and Artist.
Her work is believed to be influenced by her own teachers and Surrealist Artists, such as Duane Michals.
She claimed she would have been better suited in Victorian times-hence her fashion style, featured in some of her images.
I experienced a very interesting and insightful presentation on Francesca Woodman today in our lecture, mainly because there is a lot more to her than meets the eye. My first impressions of Woodman's work is obviously they're self portraits and mostly nude and I have always thought the work is about femininity and insecurity and also the experimental aspects too are creative and compelling.
After watching a film/documentary about her family, "The Woodmans", I now have a clearer understanding of her mind state and the reason (assumption) behind her death. Watching the film you began to feel as though Woodman was outsider to many of her friends and family and those around her, and it was as if she wasn't being credited enough for her work at the time she was making it. The fact that she distorted her body and the image in ways, suggests she may have wanted to express her feelings and emotions through her imagination and creativity.
This link should take you to the video of The Woodmans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt1QYIZWVTA
She appeared quite self contained in the video as if she was out shone by the own family, who were also keen and enthusiastic Artists. Her family, even to this day appear as though they didn't quite understand why she decided to end her life so early, as if they were a little distant towards her near the end. I feel many of these images reflect her determination to create images that conveyed a message to the whole world or to her friends and family specifically.
Was her work the journey to the end of her life?
Or was her work purely an act of experimental beauty?
I personally love her work, particularly the images where she is surrounded by her environment and almost encased by it and the way she plays with long exposures. I admire her bravery and courage to produce such intimate nudes of herself and the female body creates intriguing shapes and distortions in images.
Woodmans work is so amazingly sensitive and unique, she would have been and still is a great photographer even to this day, she still gives many people the satisfaction of viewing her work and producing their own from inspiration- including myself.
For more information on Francesca Woodman visit:
http://www.victoria-miro.com/artists/_7/
