Francesca Woodman

Francesca Woodman excelled at taking self-portraits that were unusual and creative.  Often, she would appear as someone representing a sense of angst, producing an unsettling atmosphere that would captivate the viewer with images of blurred forms and strange representations of herself.  Images that would challenge the traditional representation of the self-portrait with producing a well-defined and recognisable image of themselves, smiling, as the viewer gazes upon the visage of an unreal reality.

In Untitled, Woodman pushes at these boundaries of the self-portrait.  There is no smiling image to comfort the viewer, no gesture towards the viewer to produce a sense of welcoming them into their world.  Instead the viewer is presented with something that could be described as a ghostly apparition, a wailing banshee that plays on the cultural inground fear of the viewer.   

These are probably the most unsettling features of Untitled, the embodiment of a ghostly nature, but there is other subtle effects that enhance and emphasise the atmosphere of disquiet.  One of the most noticeable is the environment of which the self-portrait was taken, with it being in an abandoned building, reminiscent of places that have been deserted, left to the mercy of time and the harshness of the elements.  The rubble on the floor adds to the sense of a decrepit building that has been left to fall into ruin, a home that has become forsaken, uninhabited and unused because of some dark reason. 

With Woodman presenting herself as a blurred apparition floating in mid-air blends seamlessly into this narrative.  The dilapidation of the building suggests that the place has been abandoned for a lengthy time , the bareness of the wall and the rubble on the floor support the possibility of the building having a history, a place where secrets dwell.  One of those secrets could be something that is supernatural, something by its very nature is shrouded in mystery and plays on the innate fears and apprehensions of the human condition.  It becomes easy to believe that this is a place where people fear to go, driven away by something unfriendly, something unsettling and ultimately, something frightening.

However, what is key to this photograph producing such a sense of unease and disquiet is the pose.  By capturing the position of where she appears to be mid-air leads to the impression that something unusual is happening and adds to the surreal nature of the image.  Also, with Woodman appearing blurred, as being simultaneously defined and undefined, a paradox of existence, highlights the surrealness of the entire scene, an unsettling oddness that defies belief.  With such a pose it is possible to ask how it was achieved, but asking those questions belittles the achievement of the self-portrait and ultimately undermines the unsettling qualities of the photograph. 

Though there is one subtle quality of the photograph that cannot be overlooked and that is the lack of shadows.  With Woodman not casting a shadow, or at the very best a barely distinct dark patch on the bottom left, adds to her appearing as if she inhabits a different world, that she is not truly connected to reality.  This adds to Woodman’s disquieting sense of being real and unreal, substantial and insubstantial, a figure transported from Dante’s divine comedy whose immaterial nature is unable to block out the light.

Lastly, there is her face, which appears to be unrecognisable but with enough definition to denote generic human features.  There is a fuzzy dark circle for the eye, a streaking highlight that could be interpreted as a hooked nose, maybe with a mouth underneath it.  None of this is certain, nothing is clear and adds to the impression that an enigmatically haunting figure has appeared.  Indeed, the faceless face, the black dress, the immaterial form all suggests that we are in the presence of a witch that has returned from the spirit-world. 

Francesca Woodman excelled at making such impactful imagery.  Her work covered dark and unsettling themes about self-representation, many of which would fit the description above, and became renowned for creating surreal and atmospheric work that has been described as being highly creative.  This is just one example of her creativity, one example that showcases her individual style and demonstrates just how flexible the gene of self-portraiture can be in the hands of someone able to master and control this infinitely diverse and expressive genre.