VALENCIA.- The Institut València d’Art Modern (IVAM) has unveiled the exhibition “Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream,” produced by the National Portrait Gallery in London. This groundbreaking showcase features a retrospective of the work of two of the most significant photographers in art history: Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879) and Francesca Woodman (1958-1981).

A Unique Retrospective

The exhibition brings together approximately 140 photographs that juxtapose the works of these two artists, who lived a century apart. Despite the temporal gap, both Cameron and Woodman elevated photography to the realm of art, sharing thematic interests and personal affinities that this exhibition highlights. “The exhibition reveals the profound connections between the works of these two artists, exploring their overlapping themes and styles,” explained Sonia Martínez, deputy director of IVAM, during the exhibition's presentation, accompanied by Georgia Atienza, photography curator at the National Portrait Gallery.

Previously exhibited from March to June at the National Portrait Gallery in the UK, the IVAM exhibition will be on display until October 20, showcasing over 140 period photographs sourced from leading museums around the world, including the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.

Unseen Works and New Insights

The portraits created by Francesca Woodman, many of which have never been seen in Spain before, have been generously lent by the Woodman Family Foundation in New York, which closely collaborated on the exhibition and its accompanying catalog. “The exhibition features about one hundred works by Woodman and forty by Cameron, covering their entire careers, both of which were brief yet intense, with neither artist working for more than fifteen years,” Martínez noted.

Cameron worked in the UK and Sri Lanka starting in the 1860s, while Woodman operated in America and Italy during the 1970s. “To date, these two photographers have primarily been studied from a biographical perspective,” Sonia Martínez recounted. However, this project adopts a “thematic” structure intended to uncover the multiple and fascinating resonances between the two artists.

The title of the exhibition, “Portraits to Dream,” derives from Woodman’s observation that photographs could serve as “places where the viewer can dream.” Atienza explained that “both Woodman and Cameron produced works deeply rooted in mythology and storytelling, and each created portraits of their close ones to represent these narratives.” Additionally, both women “explored the portrait beyond its capacity to capture reality.”

Thematic Exploration of Time and Artistry

With a thematic approach, visitors can navigate the works of Woodman and Cameron, moving back and forth through time between the 19th and 20th centuries and within the relatively short years each artist was active. “The themes explored encompass ideas like angels, the use of doubles to reflect femininity, nature, myths, and archetypes,” explained the National Portrait Gallery curator.

Atienza emphasized that “the exhibition opens with a statement of intent, showcasing how both Cameron and Woodman defined themselves as artists from the outset, celebrating their successes. This is evident in the two images that open the show: a portrait by Cameron with the caption ‘my first success’ and a self-portrait by Woodman at age 13.”

Both artists viewed photography as a medium not merely for recording reality but for constructing it, advocating for its recognition as art. They were literary enthusiasts who shunned technical perfection, proposing deliberately imperfect images that are suggestive and transformative.

Among the key works displayed are the initial forays of both artists into the photographic world. This includes Cameron's self-proclaimed “first success,” a portrait of Annie Wilhelmina Philpot taken in 1864. The exhibition also features photographs that depict angelic and otherworldly figures from Woodman’s Angel series, contrasting with Cameron’s more direct representations of cherubic beings and winged cupids.

Essential photographs from Francesca Woodman include Polka Dots #5, created in 1976, and her last significant photographic project, the caryatids series, in which she experimented with large-scale diazotype prints, portraying herself and other models as caryatids—female figures carved to replace columns in ancient Greek temples.

Atienza highlighted that “this exhibition is the first to pay special attention to the portraits of men made by Woodman, as well as exploring the significance of her photographs of friends.”

A Pioneer in Photography Appreciation

Concluding the presentation, Sonia Martínez reiterated IVAM’s long-standing commitment to photography, noting that the museum has been “pioneering” in establishing a photographic collection and maintaining a continuous programming of exhibitions that explore the possibilities, potentials, and poetics of photography.

The exhibition “Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream” not only honors the legacy of these two remarkable photographers but also invites audiences to engage deeply with their artistic visions. By juxtaposing their works, IVAM offers a unique opportunity to reflect on the evolution of photographic art and the enduring themes that connect generations of artists.

As this exceptional showcase unfolds at IVAM, visitors are encouraged to immerse themselves in the dreamlike worlds crafted by Cameron and Woodman, experiencing firsthand the beauty and complexity of their artistic legacies.