Change Of Plan

If you guys read my last post you'll know that I went to Canterbury to visit the local university with my sister. Sadly I didn't get the chance to take any photographs. However, I'm going back this summer so I will make sure I get some then. That means that this post won't be about my own work but the work of one of my favourite photographers.

This photographer is Francesca Woodman, an American artist who lived in New York.

Francesca Woodman

I've loved Francesca Woodman's work ever since I layed eyes on it during a photographic project whilst I was at college. Most people see her work and think it's depressing or don't really understand any of it. Personally I think her work is inspiring and in a way I feel like I relate to some of it. For example the photograph I've chosen to show you was part of a series about space. The series involved works of woodman hiding behind things such as fireplaces and mirror, almost like she was trying to blend in. Her work gives off the sense that she was trying to portray how she felt either psychologically or emotionally without using words to express herself.
There are apparently around 800 photographs that she produced all or a majority of which were whilst she was a student. However only about a quarter of these have been made public.
The one thing about Woodman's work I love is the fact she didn't really owe it to anyone, she did it for herself and nobody else. I think that's why her work was never published world wide whilst she was alive. Sadly Francesca Woodman killed herself in 1981 at just 22. It's a scary thought that she was just a year older then I am now when she died. But in a way I don't think she died in vein, simply because her work was never really seen whilst she lived. Of course I'm not the one to say she wouldn't have made it living, but I suppose it's one of those things that we will never know.
I would love to one day be able to actually see her works in person rather then through text books and the internet. The University I'm going to be attending from September hold an annual trip to New York and eventhough I've been there before I would love to go back, so I have my fingers crossed I'll be able to afford to go this year. If I do get to go I might be lucky enough to finally see some of Woodman's work. If not then I can always get a train to somewhere in the UK that's showing some.

I must warn anyone under that gets uncomfortable about nudity might not want to research Woodman. Not all her work has nudity but I just thought I should warn you before you choose to take a look. I hope you fall in love with her work as much as I have.