You know, I like to think that we have been looking around quite a bit at the world of photography, but like so many things, every door opened, leads to 10 more.

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© Francesca Woodman

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© Francesca Woodman

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Phaidon has just published a new book of photographer Francesca Woodman.
I’ve heard about her only peripherally in more esoteric gatherings and for some reason, never investigated.

Was that a mistake.

After looking (skimming) over a copy of this book, it has now been ordered for full perusal.
That is not to say it won’t be coming as a giveaway. But let me sit with it first to see what’s up.
Actually all giveaways are ” tested ” before being offered.
Don’t want to send you junk.

But forget about that for now. Read on:

From the website:
Francesca Woodman has become one of the most talked about, studied and influential of late twentieth-century photographers. She started taking photographs when she was barely thirteen, and in less than a decade created a body of work that has now secured her reputation as one of the most original American artists of the 1970s. Woodman brought an understanding of Baroque painting, modernist art and contemporary post-Minimalist practice to her haunting, sensual, images. Both in her work with models and in her sometimes disturbing self-portraits, she made a thoroughgoing challenge to the certainties of photography.

The only book available on the legendary American photographer Francesca Woodman (1958—81), an artist who in the last five years has attracted a devoted worldwide following, despite a career of less than a decade, cut short by her tragically early death at the age of 23
With over 250 photographs, some of which have never been exhibited or published before, this is the only comprehensive monograph on Woodman
Original research by Dr Chris Townsend relates Woodman’s work to its American and European influences: from post-Minimal sculptors such as Richard Serra to American ‘gothic’ photographers such as Ralph Eugene Meatyard
Extracts and facsimile pages from Woodman’s journals illuminate her thought processes and give a unique insight into her methods of working

Phaidon would like to thank Betty and George Woodman, her parents, for their help and close involvement at all stages of this publication.

One thing that is good to know is how loved ones can help keep the artistry of these people alive and well.

We thank them.

Cheers!
Damon Webster

This entry was posted on Monday, December 18th, 2006 at 12:11 am and is filed under Product Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.