Educational Media Reviews Online

The documentary film The Woodmans focuses on Francesca Woodman’s posthumously acclaimed photography before her untimely death at 22. Woodman’s working years, 1972 - 1980, followed closely the 1960’s and 70’s rise of conceptual photography and early body centric female avant-garde performance and video work. She was working contemporaneously with artists such as Hannah Wilke and Duane Michals, and her work portends the emergence of artist such as Cindy Sherman and Nan Goldin. The continued influence of Woodman’s photographs can be found in current day fashion photography and in the work and interests of art school students across the country.

Woodman’s suicide in 1981 did not cause a stir in the art world - she was virtually unknown - but the effects of her life and death on her family were profound. The Woodmans is both a biography of an artist and a family drama. While Francesca stays at the center of the film, much of the story is told through the perceptions of her parents, George and Betty Woodman who are both successful artists themselves. This narrative setup provides an interesting alternative to the traditional artist’s biography. Instead of describing Woodman's work within the context of her contemporary or conceptual peers, the film instead ties her story to the framework of the artistically focused family dynamic, which was simultaneously nontraditional and distinctly a product of the 1950’s. Interviews with George and Betty provide detailed insight into Francesca’s childhood and early artistic endeavors, while interviews with friends and fellow artists flesh out her time at the Rhode Island School of Design and in New York.

The materials the filmmaker had at his disposal to tell Woodman's story are unparalleled. The film uses family history, photographs, and previously unseen video works and diary entries to trace a complex history and provide a high level of insight into Woodman’s photographs. While the substantial coverage of George and Betty’s work may seem incidental to the biographical aspect of the film, it provides a distinct look at Woodman's very early exposure to the seriousness of art and dedication to craft.

The Woodmans is an interesting and well made film about an intriguing figure in contemporary art. The film is highly recommended for a mature general audience, as well as for higher education arts programs.