The Woodmans

I used to think how great it would have been to be raised in a family familiar with the arts: the meeting of like minds, the inspirational conversation, the fertile and productive exchange and appreciation of abstract ideas and concepts. Truly a family made in heaven! And what could possibly be even better- but a family of actual artists!!!

The Woodmans are a family of artists that may not have driven anyone to suicide, but definitely call to mind- be careful what you wish for! Francesca Woodman is frequently described as one very "needy" person throughout the film, and obviously, I'm in no position to place blame or explain why. But there are a couple of moments in a rather unremarkable film that made my hair stand on end. One has Francesca's mother reminiscing how wonderful it is to still have the legacy of her work, but that, but that... and I'm expecting her to say something to the effect of how she'd happily give up each and every one of those photos just to see her daughter one more time. Instead, she blurts out, "But then I think- hey, I'm an artist too!" Huh? What! Yes, by all means, we still have Y-O-U to celebrate! Wow!!! And then just a couple of minutes later, like a potent one-two combination, we find out that her abstract painter father decided to pick up a camera after her death- as we then see him in the act of taking some pretty creepy (and highly mediocre) photographs of a half naked model holding a photograph "somewhat in the spirit of Francesca." YIPES!!! Ordinarily, I might have dismissed the guy as your average old perv with a camera, but the given history adds yet another layer of certified creepiness.

Fuck art- these guys would have driven me to become one very happy, complacent and self satisfied jock, derivatives trader, furniture salesman... Anything but a goddamn artist.