Francesca Woodman

Space², Providence, Rhode Island

About this artwork

Woodman’s identity is obscured by the sudden movement of her head, giving her a spectral appearance. This work forms part of a series called ‘Space2’, taken while studying at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island between 1975 and 1978. The series explores various ways of concealing or flattening her form, reminding the viewer that all photographs are distortions of reality. Woodman uses a prolonged exposure to create an ethereal, transcendental quality in the tradition of Surrealism. The photograph is not a self-portrait in the conventional sense, as it explores the possibilities of representation instead of revealing the artist’s identity.

Updated before 2020

  • artist:
    Francesca Woodman (1958 - 1981) American
  • title:
    Space², Providence, Rhode Island
  • date created:
    1976
  • materials:
    Gelatin silver print on paper
  • measurements:
    14.00 x 14.00 cm (paper 25.20 x 20.20 cm) (framed: 45.80 x 40.20 x 2.00 cm)
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    ARTIST ROOMS National Galleries of Scotland and Tate. Acquired jointly through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Art Fund, 2008
  • accession number:
    AR00350
  • gallery:
  • artwork photographed by:
    Antonia Reeve
This artwork is part of Artist Rooms
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Francesca Woodman

Francesca Woodman