Many of Francesca Woodman's ghostly self-portraits were captured with slow shutter speeds and careful manipulation of light. Figure 1 illustrates this well, showing Woodman's blurred figure moving through an empty room. Similarly, Figure 2 presents a faint, blurry impression of Woodman partially obscured by wallpaper. These images suggest the impermanence of life, depicting our existence as merely a fleeting impression. This technique also transforms the subject into an eerie, spectral form, which ties into my idea of loss of life and the ghostly impressions captured with infrared photography. I may be able to use long exposures to introduce a surreal element to my work. Additionally, Woodman's use of empty spaces could be incorporated into my own work, as the absence of life and purpose in a room conveys a narrative of loss. Prominent settings for her photos include "disintegrating empty rooms, with cracked and broken masonry, dust, flaking paint or peeling wallpaper scattered with damaged fixtures and fittings" (Tate, 2018), and this idea of decay and destruction parallels my plans for photographing crumbling engine houses around Cornwall.
Religious iconography, particularly related to death, is prevalent throughout Woodman's work. The image in Figure 3 is part of her "Angel" series, where she hangs sheets of white fabric from a warehouse ceiling to form angel wings and photographs herself in various positions before it. This photo shows Woodman jumping into the air as if to take flight, but she is not directly in front of the wings, suggesting she is not yet an angel. According to The Art Story, Woodman "continues exploration of the theme of the angel, a messenger from heaven on earth, a concept that reminds us of the spirit realms, of prophecy, and guidance" (The Art Story, 2017), themes related to loss and grief. The tone of this work is melancholic, illustrating her struggle with mental health and perhaps hinting at the hidden conflict between living with depression and yearning for the freedom from suffering that death might bring. As Artnet notes, "a lackluster response to her photography and a failed relationship pushed her into a deep depression", eventually leading to her suicide at the age of 22 (Artnet, 2024).
Another key religious symbol is the crucifix, which Woodman uses in Figure 4. Here, a figure is suspended from a door frame in a pose reminiscent of Jesus' crucifixion. The door behind the figure bears the symbol of a cross, further alluding to the ideas of punishment and sacrifice. A chair is placed in front of the figure as if it has been kicked away, prompting the audience to question the nature of this person's death - was it a sacrifice or a suicide? Woodman might be suggesting that these could be the same, implying that her death might unburden those around her. While we can only speculate, knowledge of her suicide inevitably informs our interpretations of her work. As Alan Riding noted, Woodman's suicide provokes "an almost unconscious search for evidence of impending self-destruction in her powerful and often disturbing self-portraiture" (The Art Story, 2017).
Similarly, the symbol of the cross is commonly found in graveyards, the settings of Figures 5 and 6. Here, a nude (though in one case, veiled) figure poses in front of headstones, evoking a sense of vulnerability and fragility in the face of death. The unexpected presence of a naked woman in a cemetery also creates tension. Woodman said, "I like watching the immediacy of a photograph struggle with 'timeless imagery'" (The Woodman Family Foundation, 2020), indicating her intent to create conflict by juxtaposing these opposing elements. Although I do not intend to include the nude form in my work, I aim to evoke a similar sense of unease and introspection in my audience. Photographing in graveyards might help achieve this, as there is an inherent discomfort surrounding death, and the gothic aesthetic aligns with my theme of loss. Figure 7 continues this theme of mourning, as a darkened figure sits in shadow with a beam of light illuminating the collection of framed photographs next to them. The seated figure's clothing is reminiscent of Victorian mourning dress, echoing the gothic imagery of Woodman's other works. Art critic Elizabeth Gumport suggested that Woodman's images "call to mind corpses, or ghosts, as if the wall between our world and the spirit realm had begun to fall" (The Art Story, 2017), an effect I aspire to bring into my work.
Finally, Figures 8 and 9 introduce a playful, innocent tone to Woodman's body of work, reminding us of how young she was when she tragically died. In Figure 8, she has scratched at either the negative or the print itself, with the scribbles visually representing her conversation with Vince. Figure 9 shows Woodman peering out from underneath a print or sheet of wallpaper, with spoons and forks scattered around the windowsill. Playfully titled "It Must be Time for Lunch Now", this photo evokes the image of a child getting hungry during playtime. These lighthearted images convey a sense of innocence that I hope to bring to my photos as I endeavour to illustrate the loss of youth and identity. Like Woodman, I would like to experiment with adjusting my images in post-production to add another layer of depth and meaning.
Woodman's exploration of "liminal themes of the visible and invisible, the possible and the impossible, and the threshold between life and death" (The Art Story, 2017) has greatly inspired me. I will consider how these themes can be captured through the medium of infrared photography, which inherently explores the "visible and invisible" by using infrared light. This technique, combined with long exposures, is well-suited for creating an ethereal atmosphere. According to the Tate, Woodman's ghostly presence is "sometimes disturbing and most of all, intimate" (Tate, 2018). This intimacy is something I aim to bring to my work as I invite my audience to reflect on what loss means to them.
References
The Art Story (2017) Francesca Woodman photography, bio, ideas, The Art Story. Available at: https://www.theartstory.org/artist/woodman-francesca/ (Accessed: 23 February 2024).
Artnet (2024) Francesca Woodman, Artnet. Available at: https://www.artnet.com/artists/francesca-woodman/ (Accessed: 03 June 2024).
Artsy (2018) Francesca Woodman, Artsy. Available at: https://www.artsy.net/artist/francesca-woodman (Accessed: 23 February 2024).
Tate (2018) Finding Francesca, Tate. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/francesca-woodman-10512/finding-francesca (Accessed: 23 February 2024).
The Woodman Family Foundation (2020) Biography - Francesca Woodman - Woodman Foundation, The Woodman Family Foundation. Available at: https://woodmanfoundation.org/francesca/biography (Accessed: 03 June 2024).
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