1. Louise Bourgeois

2. Louise Bourgeois • “…all my subjects, have found their inspiration in my childhood. My childhood has never lost its magic, it has never lost its mystery, and it has never lost its drama.” • Born in 1911, died in 2010, she continued to make artwork well into her 90’s • Thought that only people who work autobiographically, focusing on their own person and feelings, who can really be universal and universally understood • Studied mathematics before becoming a painter and later a sculptor

3. Louise Bourgeois Continued • Common theme in her early work was “Femmes Maison”- women’s bodies whose heads are shut up in a house, a metaphor for the social position of women and their confinement in domestic matters • Used a wide range of materials including latex and synthetic resin • Best known works are about her anger with her father who cheated on his wife for years with Bourgeois’s nanny • She explored memories of her mother in variations on the theme of a spider which helped to dub her the “Spiderwoman”

4. Personal Thoughts on Bourgeois • Think about the themes that Bourgeois used in her work- anger at her father, memories of her mother, and the roles of women in society • Answer one of the following ?’s or come up with your own ideas how your artwork relates to your life • Take all the time provided and write at least a half page (you will be sharing these with your neighbor when we’re done) • How do you think that a parents behavior influences or effects their children? Can it be good, bad, or both? • What memories from childhood would you like to make artwork about? • Do you think what you make an artwork out of matters? What would you make art out of and why?