Francesca Woodman ( 1958-1981)

Francesca Woodman (1958-1981) is best known for black-and-white pictures of herself and of female models. Her photographs show young women nude, blurred, merging with their surroundings, or with their faces obscured.

Francesca Woodman was born April 3, 1958, in Denver, Colorado, to artists George Woodman and Betty Woodman.

She attended public school in Boulder, Colorado, between 1963 and 1971. She began high school in 1972 at Massachusetts boarding school Abbot Academy, where she began to develop her photographic skills.

Beginning in 1975, Woodman attended the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island. She studied in Rome, Italy between 1977 and 1978 and as she spoke fluent Italian, she was able to befriend Italian intellectuals and artists. She went back to Rhode Island in late 1978 to graduate from Rhode Island School of Design.

Woodman moved to New York City in 1979. After spending summer 1979 in Stanwood, Washington, she returned to New York. There, "to make a career in photography" she sent portfolios of her work to fashion photographers, but "her solicitations did not lead anywhere."In summer 1980 she was an artist-in-residence at the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire.

In late 1980 Woodman became depressed due to her work and to a broken relationship. On January 19, 1981, she committed suicide by jumping out a loft window in New York. An acquaintance wrote, "things had been bad, there had been therapy, things had gotten better, guard had been let down."

This Talented young lady died at the age of 22......due to depression because of none existent success in both her life and work. If only she'd have known how many young talents today strive to be what she was.....to have and behold a talent as vast as hers.

I'm in love as is dear aspiring photographer Anna!

w/ love
alice