Francesca Woodman

Francesca Woodman (1958-1981)

Currently one of my greatest Infuences

Best known for black-and-white images of herself and young women nude, blurred (due to movement and long exposure times), merging with their surroundings, or with their faces obscured.

Years after her suicide at the age of 23, her photographic works became the subject of much attention.

Woodman used different cameras and film formats during her career, most of her photographs were taken with a Yashica camera-producing 2-1/4 by 2-1/4 inch square negatives-that her father had given her.

Woodman's estate, which is represented by the Marian Goodman Gallery in New York, consists of over 800 prints of which "only around 120 images have ever been published or exhibited.
Many of Woodman's images are untitled and are known only by a location and date.

(special thank you to Michael Siu for introducing her work to me and to Ben Rains for the use of his book)

Ben Rains

The question is, whether suicide is the way out or the way in.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

This is an unusual topic. It is one that has been on my mind because I have been studying Francesca Woodman. It is bold to print anything on the subject on the internet. But I want to be clear it is solely an interesting topic to me. I have unfinished buisness to complete before I can die. Right now I believe that I am willing myself to live.

The idea of Non-existence...makes me want to live~live to my fullest. nh