The Fábrica Gallery holds the latest exhibition dedicated to the American photographer Francesca Woodman. Upon the 30th Anniversary of her death, the hall displays the work of the Artist with a selections of 20 photographs, half of which are unedited. Until the 21st January, Madrid host a mixture of key works which outline the path of Woodman, from her first photographer, “Autorretrato a los 13”, taken in 1972 to her last work in New York.
Too young, the hasty disappearance of Woodman, over time has converted her into ambivalent reference, with a young start who rose to the top. Born in Denver in 1958, her artist skills were developed under the influence of a family dedicated to Art in plastic. She lived and studied between America and Italy. Following a grant in Rome and two collective expositions, in 1979, she finally settled in New York , where she remained until the end of her life in 1981. Her prolific work has had a extraordinary influence, being displayed in collections at the Metropolitan Museum, MOMA and the Foundation Cartier.
The work of Francesca Woodman can be tied to artists like Hannah Wilke, Ana Mendieta or Cindy Sherman, in their approach to self-portraits and the reflections around the identity. As with all the images of Woodman there is an unanticipated eco, unsettling, elusive. From a very personal language, introspection leads to self-recognition, in explorations and discoveries that mark with astonishment and vertigo.
As small pieces of surreal dreams and memories about to be lost, in her photos, the body shape merges into poetic evocations and the interactions between architecture and objects. The fear of dissolution, the risk of losing oneself, encourage the need to redraw the contours of the body, to find yourself at risk of loneliness and isolation. Overwhelming and intimate, with a violent delicacy, Woodman pictures capture the most exquisite form of survival.
Bárbara Muriel
