In a run-down, abandoned basement, a distraught Francesca Woodman’s hair is being pulled upward, her features blurred, and her face crying for help. There seems to be a hand yanking her away while her ghastly face screams — yet no one can hear.
This image of Francesca Woodman is a small black and white photograph taken in Rome, Italy. She is best known for self-portraits where her face and background are blurred, creating an illusion of a ghost haunting the background.
While many photographs capture reality, others works, such as Francesca Woodman’s photographs, are imaginative and could not be more puzzling. 40 years after her death, more of Woodman’s snapshots have been discovered and are on display for the first time at the Marian Goodman Gallery in New York.
Francesca Woodman was a master of manipulating light and negative space to create illusions. She was able to capture wispy figures by operating the shutter feature all by herself, using Woodman herself described her work to be “an alternative to everyday life… places for the viewer to dream in.” She used art as an outlet to express her creativity that seemed like riddles to the everyday viewer.
Woodman was able to form such chilling shadows in the background by using the shutter feature on her camera lens. Many artists were bewildered on how she could use this feature with such precision all by herself. Like a true artistic prodigy, Woodman was innovative and used a string to trigger the lens at the exact moment.
Much like her eerie photography, not much is known about Woodman’s life and death. Growing up in an artistic household, Woodman was a talented young girl who excelled in her studies at art school. She worked alone, often in abandoned locations, cemeteries, and basements that were forgotten by the rest of society. Showcasing her genius, she released her first self-portrait picture when she was only 13 years old. Unfortunately, she committed suicide at the age of 22, yet the reason is still unclear.
These newfound photos of Francesca Woodman’s grim photography offer a window into her unique perspective on life, leaving a lasting impact on the viewer. Even though her life continues to be shrouded in secrecy, her photography offers a glimpse into her life and the world around us.
Source/image source: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20211209-francesca-woodman-the-eerie-images-of-a-teenage-genius
This image of Francesca Woodman is a small black and white photograph taken in Rome, Italy. She is best known for self-portraits where her face and background are blurred, creating an illusion of a ghost haunting the background.
While many photographs capture reality, others works, such as Francesca Woodman’s photographs, are imaginative and could not be more puzzling. 40 years after her death, more of Woodman’s snapshots have been discovered and are on display for the first time at the Marian Goodman Gallery in New York.
Francesca Woodman was a master of manipulating light and negative space to create illusions. She was able to capture wispy figures by operating the shutter feature all by herself, using Woodman herself described her work to be “an alternative to everyday life… places for the viewer to dream in.” She used art as an outlet to express her creativity that seemed like riddles to the everyday viewer.
Woodman was able to form such chilling shadows in the background by using the shutter feature on her camera lens. Many artists were bewildered on how she could use this feature with such precision all by herself. Like a true artistic prodigy, Woodman was innovative and used a string to trigger the lens at the exact moment.
Much like her eerie photography, not much is known about Woodman’s life and death. Growing up in an artistic household, Woodman was a talented young girl who excelled in her studies at art school. She worked alone, often in abandoned locations, cemeteries, and basements that were forgotten by the rest of society. Showcasing her genius, she released her first self-portrait picture when she was only 13 years old. Unfortunately, she committed suicide at the age of 22, yet the reason is still unclear.
These newfound photos of Francesca Woodman’s grim photography offer a window into her unique perspective on life, leaving a lasting impact on the viewer. Even though her life continues to be shrouded in secrecy, her photography offers a glimpse into her life and the world around us.
Source/image source: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20211209-francesca-woodman-the-eerie-images-of-a-teenage-genius
