Customer Reviews

Louise Bourgeois: Drawings and Observations

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Browsing through this book of sketches is like reading Bourgeois' personal diary. These drawings seem to be the ones she made only for herself, to figure things out and generate more ideas. This is not her "finished" work, so don't expect "LB's Greatest Hits", but any true fan of this artist will delight in seeing her sketchbooks come to life and reading her thoughts and memories of the drawings. Full of rich spontaneity & wit.

If anyone gets the pleasure of seeing this book in the flesh, you will be sweetly content. And any other Louise Bourgeois book has nothing on it. The delicate mono-coloured drawing inspire curious thoughts in to the excentric mind of the artist. A must have, if you can get your hands on one.

There are vintage Bourgeois books that justify the inflated pricetag: "Memory and Architecture", for example.
But looking through "Drawings and Observations," it is hard to find any visual to indicate that the artist is an inspiring genius. In fact, the works range from juiceless mediocrity to cartoony. They're like the level that most artists would toss.
The only redeeming value I can see is psychological insight - just in case her truly fine work doesn't do the job for you.

The writing, on the other hand, has tremendous value on how this artist thinks as she creates.
All of her work seems to have depth of thought behind it. Art students would benefit from reading this book. And the sketches, even though they are of no significance aesthetically, are important as illustrations in tandem with the writing.

What a shame this wisdom is wrapped in a package so pricey that it is unavailable to the very art schools and students, who could use it.

It should be fully available to the public, and not sit gathering dust on the shelf of some Wall Street zillionaire.