Louise bourgeois 1911-2010

Early Life Born in Paris in 1911, Louise Bourgeois grew up in the apartment above her parents tapestry restoration business She was an intelligent student and frequently helped her parents in their workshop: fixing, washing and drawing missing pieces of tapestries

Emotional Trauma During her childhood, her father had an affair with her English tutor who lived in the family's home She was devastated by this event and felt an enormous sense of betrayal She was extremely close with her mother and it scarred her to see how much pain her mother was in This event inspired much of her later work

Youth As a teenager Louise attended an elite school in Paris. She went on to study math and philosophy It wasn't until her mother's death in 1937, that she began studying art Louise Bourgeois photographed by Brassaï at the Académie de la Grande-Chaumière in Paris in 1937.

Beginning of Career In 1938 Louise opened her own gallery in a section of her father's showroom She displayed her prints and paintings and her work started to gain popularity This gallery is where she met art historian Robert Goldwater They got married, moved to New York and had three sons

Life in America In New York, Louise enrolled in The Art Students League and focused on printmaking and painting During the 1940’s and 50’s her husband introduced her to many New York artists, critics, and dealers She started creating more sculptures During this time she also had many solo shows in different New York galleries

Later Life Louise dominated the art world throughout the 1970’s and 80’s She continued creating art right until the end of her life in 2010 She died at the late age of 98.

Common Characteristics Her work is know for being very personal The themes of her work revolve around the unconscious, sexual desire and the body Almost all her pieces connect back to things she experienced in her childhood

Most Famous Piece Title: Maman Artist:: Louise Bourgeois Created: 1999 Material: bronze, stainless steel, marble Location: Ottawa, Canada

Maman The cage-like structure of the legs are representative of the sense of comfort and security her mother gave her. The marble eggs under the body are symbols of fertility and femininity

‘’The Spider is an ode to my mother. She was my best friend ‘’The Spider is an ode to my mother. She was my best friend. Like a spider, my mother was a weaver. My family was in the business of tapestry restoration, and my mother was in charge of the workshop. Like spiders, my mother was very clever. Spiders are friendly presences that eat mosquitoes. We know that mosquitoes spread diseases and are therefore unwanted. So, spiders are helpful and protective, just like my mother.’’ — Louise Bourgeois

Title: Femme Volage (Fickle Woman) Artist:: Louise Bourgeois Created: 1951 Material: painted wood and stainless steel

Title: Soft Landscape I Artist:: Louise Bourgeois Created: 1967 Material: plastic

Title: The Destruction of the Father Artist:: Louise Bourgeois Created: 1974 Material: plaster, latex, wood, fabric

Works Cited "Louise Bourgeois Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works."The Art Story. The Art Story Foundation, n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2016. "LOUISE BOURGEOIS: THE COMPLETE PRINTS & BOOKS." MoMA. The Museum of Modern Art, n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2016. "Maman (sculpture)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 3 June 2016. Web. 22 Sept. 2016.