Louise Bourgeois

Title: Maman (“Mother” in French)

Artist: Louise Bourgeois

Date: 1999

Medium & Size: Bronze, stainless steel, and marble, 29.4 x 32.2 x 38.1’ (8.95 x 9.8 x 11.6 m)

Location: Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao (Spain)

Bourgeois has said, “The Spider is an ode to my mother. She was my best friend. Like a spider, my mother was a weaver. My family was in the business of tapestry restoration, and my mother was in charge of the workshop. Like spiders, my mother was very clever. Spiders are friendly presences that eat mosquitoes. We know that mosquitoes spread diseases and are therefore unwanted. So, spiders are helpful and protective, just like my mother. “

One of the best television series on contemporary art is Art21: Art in the Twenty-First Century on PBS. There is an excellent section on Louise Bourgeois that I highly recommend viewing.

Watch Identity on PBS. See more from ART:21.

May inspiration and creativity be with you!