Francesca Woodman
Francesca Woodman is someone that comes to mind when I think of constructed realities. Her work at times can be very dark and unsettling. She drew her inspiration from Surrealism and Conceptual and would use symbolic objects such as skulls, birds, and mirrors along with slow shutter speeds capturing and blurring the movement of the model, further blurring the lines of reality in the image.
“Am I in the picture? Am I getting in or out of it? I could be a ghost, an animal or a dead body, not just this girl standing on the corner …?” - Francesca Woodman
Alongside her Fine Art photography, Woodman ventured into fashion photography where she would construct these very abstract realities that would not necessarily be what you would expect in fashion during the ’70s/80’s. Drawing from her symbolic and surrealism, she brings in taxidermied animals, such as wolves (seen in the image below). She is seemingly throwing herself in front of them, wearing beautiful silk underwear. Quite the contrast to beautifully posed and constructed fine fashion images, where luxury and a comfortable way of life is usually being sold. Woodman has done the exact opposite at first glance the way she lays in front of the animals, not making eye contact with them or the camera. It looks like she is throwing herself to the wolves, giving in almost. However, if you look at the image again, she could quite possibly be becoming part of the pack, “fitting in,’’ by choosing to own the clothing. The wolves don’t look too threatening - they are not even directed towards her. They seem to have other things to do, but Woodman lying there and with no eye contact, reaching out to them is very submissive - ready to give herself to the idea and the life that is being sold.
Overall I appreciate how she constructed this image to convey the slightly darker side of conforming to what we are being sold and what it means when we choose to be a part of the pack…
Francesca Woodman, Untitled, Providence, Rhode Island, 1975-1976.
When I relate my work to Woodman I think of this quote by Lana. L. Lee.
“the fact that the landscapes she created were entirely self constructed and authentic to her vision, a total immersion into her microcosm of disturbed paradise.” -Lana J. Lee
I don’t necessarily fully construct my images as she does. Though I will direct, guide, and position as needed. But I strive to be authentic to the vision I have for my photographs, which is the best truth I can give my audience.
Aesthetically I don’t want my images to be so dark, but I enjoy the roughness of them, the controlled chaos, the almost snapshot atmosphere that makes them a little more approachable and willing to linger to figure out what is going on, which I hope to produce in my work.
Reference :
Francesca Woodman, Untitled, Providence, Rhode Island, 1975-1976.
https://museemagazine.com/culture/art-2/features/francesca-woodman-all-shes-got