Artist Rooms: Louise Bourgeois, A Woman Without Secrets

We recently took a trip to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art with the college. The exhibition we were visiting was a collection of works by the late French-American artist Louise Bourgeois. Her subject matter involved topics including childbirth, adolescence, mothering and various emotions.
I had no previous knowledge of Bourgeois or her work upon attending the exhibition, and so was intrigued and interested in what I was going to see.

After spending around an hour and a half slowly taking in the paintings and sculptures I had chosen one piece that specifically stuck out for me.

Ode a la Bievre, 2002

This was made by Bourgeois as a material book, based upon her memories and melancholic relationship with her childhood environment. These individual pieces reflect upon what her home town was once like, and how she remembers it. It was triggered by a visit she took with her own children to Bievre, on arrival she began to notice differences in certain surroundings, she has managed to convey her very sentimental reaction to this change through 25 archival dyed and lithographed images. They were completed using old clothing and combining text with an interesting collection of colours and images, Bourgeois has achieved an inventive piece of art very personal to herself. "witnessing the past through the present moment" Is how she put it.

I very much enjoyed the exhibition and will be returning before it's end as I feel I can learn a lot from this particular artist.

Large Head

Large Head

Georg Baselitz - Woodblock and monotype on paper - 1966

I notice a lot of emotion in this piece. The aged face looks worn and fed up, the obscure shapes that cover his cheeks and forehead indicate pain perhaps. His small, almost squinted eyes seem to be staring out at something, deep in though indeed. I always like looking at portraits, I like to imagine what the person is thinking of at that moment or, why the expression on their face is that way. I like this print and although not the most complex or hard to actually produce physically - I think that a lot of energy went into conveying what this man was feeling. 

Favourite Chair

Favourite Chair

Gillian Golding - Linocut - (year not found)

This ominous looking print intrigued me upon first glance. From what is visibly a human sized rabbit sitting in an armchair covered in smaller, more colourful versions of himself looks relaxed. The woman stood a fair bit away in rabbit slippers is staring across at him, with a green door even further away. It's hard to tell what the woman is feeling or thinking, but what I find interesting about this print is how the rabbit is facing away, we are left to imagine the expression on this huge rabbits face, and I can only imagine it looking either smug or upset. Again, with some of the other prints I've looked at I am amazed at how much effort and concentration that must have went into making this print. In particular the intricate patterns upon the armchair, I am also impressed with the composition and structure of the objects. I like this print, and the way it makes me feel, it activates my imagination and grabs my attention.