Louise Bourgeois - "Maman"
If you have
a fear of spiders then you might want to watch out for Louise Bourgeois’ work.
Bourgeois is known as the spider woman because of her piece “Maman”. This steel and marble sculpture stands
about three stories tall, with all of that heavy material it still carries its
life-like organic nature. Louise Bourgeois approaches her pieces in a cerebral
sense drawing from past childhood memories, mostly bringing out her traumatic
experiences. “Maman” which means
“mother (mama)” stands as if it is observing society itself, but the core
aspect of this piece lies in Bourgeois’ symbolic representation of her mother.
The spider
represents stability, precision, and the ability to weave references of her
mothers work in tapestry restoration. In some ways, it represents Bourgeois
herself coming full circle with motherhood.
These qualities are also seen in her other sculptures “The Nest”, and “Crouching Spider” in which they assume a nurturing and protective
role. These sculptures challenge the public’s perception of a commonly feared
insect; should they walk around it or under it? Does it resonate with a
childhood memory? I believe that Bourgeois challenged the public’s perception
in order for them to come to terms with their fears or traumas, much like her
own experiences using therapy through art.Louise Bourgeois - "The Nest"
I had the
opportunity to see one of Louise Bourgeois’ spiders in person, and I was just
amazed of the amount of detail and how small I felt beside it. “Maman” evokes a monstrous sense, putting
us in the place of the spider feeling invaded and intimidated at the same time.
This idea of swapping roles or the idea of “the shoe being on the other foot”
is something we as people fail to consider often, and tend to take for granted.
Louise Bourgeois - "Crouching Spider"
Louise Bourgeois - The Nest
Louise Bourgeois - Critique
Louise Bourgeois - Crouching Spider
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