The Best Places To See Louise Bourgeois' Art
Louise Bourgeois is sometimes nicknamed the Spiderwoman for her monumental spider sculpture, but there is more to her art than giant arachnids. She has been hugely influential in modern and contemporary art, even founding ‘confessional art,’ a form of contemporary art whereby the artist, often a woman, intentionally expresses their inner self in their work. In Bourgeois’s art, this usually translates into an intimate expression of loneliness, anxiety, and her relationship to her family. Today, her work can be seen all over the world.
1. National Gallery of Canada
Building, Museum
National Gallery of Canada
Located in Ottawa, the National Gallery of Canada is one of the country’s best art galleries. In 2005, it created controversy by acquiring a copy of Louise Bourgeois’s Maman, her famous bronze, stainless steel, and marble sculpture depicting a giant spider whose title means ‘Mum’ in French. It’s a particularly representative example of the highly personal nature of Louise Bourgeois’s work: far from being menacing, the spider represents her late mother’s strength – an apt metaphor, since she, like a spider, was a weaver. Today, the National Gallery of Canada is one of the few locations where Maman is currently on view. 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Canada, +1 613-990-1985
2. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Museum, Store, Building
3. Steilneset Memorial, Vardø, Norway
Memorial
4. Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, Massachusetts
Museum
5. Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York City, New York
Art Gallery, Building, Museum, Opera House
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