Dimensions: image: 171 x 165 mm
Copyright: © Courtesy of George and Betty Woodman | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: Here we have an untitled black and white photograph by Francesca Woodman, taken sometime before her death in 1981. Editor: It feels instantly melancholic. The young woman, almost hidden behind the umbrella, the grimy window... a sense of confinement? Curator: The umbrella, of course, is a fascinating symbol. Often associated with shelter, protection, but here it obscures, it conceals. Perhaps a barrier against the world? Editor: Or a shield against the self? There's a vulnerability in the way she peeks out. It's like a child playing hide-and-seek, but the stakes feel much higher. Curator: Woodman often explored themes of identity, the body, and the female experience. This image seems to tap into a universal feeling of wanting to disappear, to become invisible. Editor: It's a potent image, and sad given her short life. I keep wondering what she was thinking, what she was trying to keep out, or maybe, what she was trying to keep in. Curator: Indeed, a poignant reminder of the complexities within.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/woodman-untitled-fw-crouching-behind-umbrella-ar00364
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In this black and white photograph Francesca Woodman crouches on the floor behind an overturned, open umbrella, the handle of which juts out toward the camera. The inside of the umbrella constitutes almost half of the image’s composition. Woodman wears a pale dress with a frilly, white, oversized collar. Her eyes are closed, with much of the rest of her face hidden behind the umbrella. Three of her fingers can be seen clutching the edge of the umbrella. Behind Woodman is a windowsill containing a pitcher, a potted plant and some other small objects. The window that dominates the upper left of the photograph is covered by transparent plastic. Along the right edge of the image a small wooden beam, perhaps a measuring stick, leans against the wall.
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