Louise Bourgeois

by Frances Morris (Editor)

Louise Bourgeois is among the most prominent contemporary sculptors. Strongly influenced by surrealism, abstract expressionism, and minimalism, her work focuses on the exploration of her psyche. A recurring theme is her troubled childhood and difficult relationship with her father. Despite early success, she did not receive widespread acclaim until the ’70s. Her 1982 exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art was the museum’s first-ever retrospective of a woman artist. Since then, she has exhibited worldwide, producing a beguiling body of work featuring spiders, cages, architectural sculptures, drawings, and found objects ranging in scale from intimate to monumental. Her staggering variety of mediums includes rubber, wood, stone, metal, and fabric. In 1993, she represented the United States at the Venice Biennale. This book accompanies a major retrospective touring exhibition. An overview of Bourgeois’s career, it covers individual works, art movements, other artists, and themes that have played an important role in her life and art, with text by acclaimed authors and critics, including Julia Kristeva, Elisabeth Lebovici, Frances Morris, Mignon Nixon, Linda Nochlin, Robert Storr, Alex Potts, Marina Warner, and Deborah Wye. Exhibition Schedule:Tate Modern, London (October 11, 2007–January 20, 2008) Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris (March 5–June 2008) Guggenheim Museum, New York (June 27–September 28, 2008) LAMoCA (October 25, 2008–January 25, 2009) Hirshhorn, Washington (February 28–June 7, 2009 tentative)

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Visual Art

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Adolfo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bourgeois nos interpreta un glosario de palabras importantes referente a su trabajo, vida y de sus ideas. Me gusto mucho sobre todo que encontré algunas similitudes con unos conocidos ;)
Lo recomiendo.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way this catalog was arranged. It begins with informative essays by an assortment of scholars (of which I still have to read). But the most interesting aspect is that the next 80% of the book comprises a Bourgeois dictionary. It's a novel, fun and surprising strategy for examing this complex work. The reader is given lovely flexibility in how they navigate the terrain of Bourgeois's work. That freedom allows, indeed encourages, wonderful new contextualizations of the artist's work. Love it!

[Karen Witzler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating; particularly the excerpts from Bernadac's interviews and Bourgeois's own writings.

[Mary Havens · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I technically abandoned this, which would normally give it a 1 star review, it was not abandoned because of poor content. I recently read another Louise Bourgeois book and this book was very similar. I liked the encyclopedia format but time is too short to read another book so soon.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aha! I had skimmed another book about this artist but couldn't recall the name of this book. Well, here it is. I'm sure I'm confusing the two books 'cause I skimmed 'em back to back -- I can't recall which one contained more plates (color or otherwise), for example. The contents were interesting, but unless I want to learn more about Bourgeois in the future, I probably wouldn't look at either book again.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Louise Bourgeois retrospective at the Guggenheim was hands down my favorite art exhibit. She is unbelievably talented, and the pieces in this book will stun you. What's great about this text, too, is that it isn't arranged chronologically or biographically so that you can just flip it open and read an intriguing blurb about her life. If you have no idea who she is, you should.

[Rachel Swearingen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. Not only does it contain a retrospective of many of Bourgeois's works, it contains a quirky glossary of terms that have been meaningful to the artist, followed by selections from interviews, diaries, etc. I could page through this book forever. Of course, I'm smitten with Bourgeois and love her work.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

My comment on the exhibition is at http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080714/schwabsky

[Mandy E · Rating 5 out of 5]

a lexicon of bourgeois...

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biographic/photographic of the great Louise Bourgeois.