Thursday, August 19, 2010

Louise Borgeois II

Louise B. was born in Paris in 1911, but moved to the U.S. in 1938. She started as an engraver and painter, but turned to sculpture in the 1940s (ironically, she started sculpting with wood). She is considered a 20th-Century leader in the field of sculpting.

In the 1960s she began to create larger works of art and moved to the use of rubber, bronze, and stone. Her dominant theme was her childhood. The articles (.pbs & wikipedia) saidshe used the relationship with her parents and the role of sexuality in her early life as her subjects, which were deeply symbolic. She explores the interplay between sexuality and innocence; she also delves into the themes of betrayal, anxiety, and loneliness.

She famously said, "My childhood has never lost its magic, it has never lost its mystery, it has never lost its drama." She lived in New York and died in May of 2010. Her works can be found in most major museums around the world.

Finally, she carried the nickname of the "spiderwoman" for her sculptures of spiders. She's acknowledged as the founder of "confessional art."

I'll bring a few samples to class (since I don't know how to insert them into this blog).

Steve Phillips

No comments:

Post a Comment