Sunday 5 April 2009

'Art is a Guarantee of Sanity' - Louise Bourgeois

There is an old BBC Arena documentary I once saw, and am likely not to forget, on the runaway child that is Louise Bourgeois.
We are immediately thrown into a heated confrontation between Louise and one of the documentary-makers. Though Louise appears forthright; she holds a mirror up to the cameraman in an attempt to divert the attention away from her, she does quite the opposite and her vulnerability shines through.
She is the femme-enfant.

Her extremely personal work is founded in her preoccupations with childhood, gender, and relationships between both mother and child, and couples to name but a few. The repetitious song ' He abandoned me' refers to her unfaithful father that took the English made Sadie for ,lets say, more than a walk up the garden path.

The rhythm of a metronome usually creates a pace for the days work, and will change accordingly to her feelings/states.
She reveals her predilection for spoonfuls of jam, and boiling hot water to kill the germs on surfaces. Details that appear eccentric to some are intriguing and often contain logic to me. I can relate to and admire her extensive use of mediums, as though anything is possible, if Louise wants to build a gigantic spider to represent Maman, Louise will.
No doubt one of many posts to come on this fascinating, brilliant and complex individual.



Femme Maison


Altered States


Details from a Cell Installation

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