Louise Bourgeois

description

A French sculptor, painter and graphic artist who worked in the USA. Famous as one of the great sculptors of the 20th century, Louise Bourgeois lived an incredibly long creative life. Her career spans almost a century, and her work reflects almost all the major art movements of this period: Cubism, Futurism, Surrealism, Constructivism and Abstract art.

Despite the influence of various artistic movements and styles, sculptures by Bourgeois were always unique creations of modern sculpture. Based on early, predominantly sad childhood memories, they affect the deepest human feelings, always hitting the target directly. Huge steel spiders, strange objects in the cages and close attention to the relationship between the sexes cause strong emotions and genuine public interest in the extraordinary work of the artist.

Louise Bourgeois was one of the first to use Environmental art in her art; it involves the presence of sculptural compositions in the everyday environment of a human being. Unlike traditional statues standing on high pedestals, these statues were placed close to people, becoming a part of their life. In addition, Bourgeois played an important role in the formation of the feminist movement and had a strong influence on the development of the art of installation and performance.

Key ideas:

– Almost everything in the sculptor’s works is connected with Louise’s childhood memories, which were not happy. As a little girl, she suffered from a cold father’s attitude and often saw how he cheated on her mother. These impressions formed the basis of Bourgeois’s sculptures, and we can say that all her work is a kind of psychotherapy, which helped the artist overcome her depressed psychological state, longing and despair.

– The symbolism of the works of Louise Bourgeois is mainly different from the traditional. For example, in the artist’s works, spiders, which for many are synonymous with horror and aggression, symbolize the image of a mother who envelops children with her care. To make her viewers understand the meaning of her work, the Bourgeois created a special symbolic dictionary, in which she explained the images of her work based on personal experience and fantasy.

– To express her ideas, Bourgeois used a variety of methods and styles. She easily passed from one style to another, absolutely not losing her bright personality and originality. The artist often used installations with completed objects, placing them in unusual combinations, which shocked the audience and caused an amazing effect of surprise.

– The artist was always interested in the fate of a woman, her place in art and society; that is why many of her works concern the topic of relations between the sexes. Bourgeois’ sculptures express a feminine essence surrounded by conventions and prohibitions. These works served as the basis for the development of feminist art, which became widespread in the 1970s.

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1911

1936

1938

1954

1966

1973

1982

1990

2010

Louise Bourgeois was born in Paris

Louise Bourgeois was born in Paris, but the childhood of the future famous sculptor passed in Aubusson – a region in central France, which is famous for its carpets. Her parents had a small carpet factory and a trellis restoration workshop. From early childhood, Louise had a difficult relationship with her father, which served as a source of her fears and later reflected in her work.

She entered the Ranson Academy

After studying mathematics at the Sorbonne, she entered the Ranson Academy, and later the Paris Academy of Fine Arts. There Louise studied painting and graphics; at the same time, and was engaged in sculpture under the leadership of great sculptor Constantine Brancusi, who at that time was a leading figure in the Paris avant-garde. Her final choice of sculpture was influenced by famous Cubist Fernand Leger, who praised the talent of Bourgeois.

Married American art critic Robert Goldwater

Married American art critic Robert Goldwater, who was a leading specialist in the field of primitive art, and later became the first director of the New York Museum of Primitive Art. Together with her husband, Bourgeois moved to New York, where she began to engage in sculpture seriously.

Joined a group of American Abstract Artists

Joined a group of American Abstract Artists, the members of which were Barnett Newman and Ad Reinhardt, who became her friends. Bourgeois also had good relations with some Abstract Expressionists such as Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko. The artist switched from wooden sculptures to marble, plaster and bronze. The themes of fear, vulnerability, and traumatic sexuality appeared in the works of Bourgeois.

Became a member of the feminist movement

Became a member of the feminist movement. In many of her works and statements, Bourgeois focused on the problems of female identity; with the development of the feminist movement, this attracted public attention. In the same year, the artist began experimenting with such materials as latex and rubber.

The husband of the artist died

The husband of the artist died; after that, she took up teaching and social activities. Louise Bourgeois taught at such educational institutions as the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn College and the School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture in New York. She was an active participant in the socialist movement and joined the anti-censorship group, which insisted on using sexual images in art.

The large retrospective exhibition

The Museum of Modern Art in New York hosted a large retrospective exhibition of the artist’s works, which was a huge success. In an interview that she gave during the opening of the exhibition, Louise Bourgeois explained the concept of her work and revealed many previously unknown aspects of it.

"Maman"

The image of a spider appeared in the sculptor’s work, making the art of Bourgeois even more famous throughout the world. Numerous sculptures under the general title “Maman” are a frightening spider figure, which the author used as the symbol of the image of her mother. The largest of these sculptures is at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.