Louise Bourgios

1. Louise Bourgeois Born : 25stDecember 1911 Died : 31st May 2010

2. Background Born into a prosperous family. Personal troubles within family. Suffered from a chronic lung ligament. Had an emotionally painful past. Was inspired by The Romantics, Symbolists, Impressionists, Post Impressionists and Surrealists. Best known for her sculptures and was an icon of the Feminist Movement.

3. Inspired By Surrealism – 1920s Andre Masson – “Automatic Drawings” Louise Bourgeois – “Hang on”

4. Giorgio de Chirico’s - “The Red Tower (La Tour Rouge) (1913)” Louise Bourgeois – “The Curved house”

5. Magritte’s – “This is not a pipe” Louise bourgeois – “Pink days and blue days”

6. Max Ernst – “The Elephant Celebes” Louise bourgeois – “Spider III 1996”

7. Feminist Movements “Untitled 1982” : Cindy Sherman

8. Feminist Art Movement Began in the late 1960s To make art that reflects women’s lives and experiences and to bring more visibility to women within art. Used “Female Technologies” that pioneered this particular movement. Influenced two major female modern artists such as Eva Hesse and Rachel Whiteread.

9. Artists Related To This Movement “Work Life” : Suzanne Lacy Focuses on social themes and urban issues.

10. “Anatomies” : Faith Wilding Based on psychosexual relations of parents and children.

11. “Bringing the war home 2004” : Martha Rosier Work is based on work concerns and social issues.

12. “Untitled” : Kate Millet Feminist activist and writer best known for her book “Sexual Politics” during the 1970s.

13. Key Exhibitions In This Movement : “Bad Girls” : 1994 “Inside the visible” : 1996 “Wack! Art and Feminist Revolution” : 2007 “Making It Together : Women’s Collaborative Art and Community” : 2000

14. Major Themes In Her Work : Troubled Maturity Wholeness Theme of the father of that of the mother These themes portray her work as : “A confessional biography.”

15. Important works : “Femme Maison” : 1946-47 Oil and ink on linen 91.5 x 35.5cm The exterior double as a straight-jacket The windows and doors serve as the blind eyes and orifices of a mask “…image of domestic entrapment.”

16. “Spider” : 1997 Steel, tapestry, wood, glass, fabric, rubber, silver, gold, and bone. 444.5 x 665.5 x 518 cm “… the mother in question can be inverted projection of Josephine’s omnipotent goodness, against which the helpless daughter symbolically revolts.” Inspiration : unfulfilled wish to be all–powerful and shame as she felt that she had failed to to meet the high expectations that was set by her mother and also her mothers death.

17. “Eye to Eye” : 1970 Marble 80 x 76 x 76cm Developed from stacked pieces from past exhibition called : “Blind leading the blind.” Portray : feeling of unease of being in a group/tension to the crowd.

18. “Cell 1” : 1991 Mixed Media 211 x 244 x 274.5 cm Feelings of abandonment, dependency and unable to cope. Symbolism of perfume : evanescence of pleasure and sense of smell – evocation and healing.

19. Legacy Turner Prize winner in 1993 and was the first woman to win it. The “MOMA” show was just the beginning as it kicked off her career. “….takes place alongside such emerging or mid- career talents such as Marlene Dumas, Mike Kelley, Raymond Peltibon, PipilottiRist and Luc Tumans …fundamentally forming sculpture.” – Phaido Inspires young and old as her work is emotional and formally risky.

20. Influenced The Dada movement, Cubism, Abstract Expressionism, Minimalism, Feminism, Pop Art and also Contemporary Art. Action Painting, Colour field painting, Lyrical Abstraction and Taschisme (French style of Abstract painting from the 1940s and 1950s). Examples of artists that have been influenced are: Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, Bruce Nauman, Andy Warhol and EvaHesse. Bruce Nauman shook his head and quoted whilst exhibiting with Bourgeois in 1996 said : “You’ve gotta watch that woman!”

21. Famous Quotes from Louise Bourgeois: “…to view the world is that of a changeling adolescent, on the cup of the mature sexual awakening.” “Today, once again, I’m placed in a role with demands I am not sure I can fill. How can I help raise money for you. Maybe you picked the wrong medalist. The challenge for me is to prove to you that you were right to trust me…..”